Legal advice...

Eroticplants

Hey everyone,
So this is probably FAR from the most serious topic you have ever read but all the same I need advice.
Tonight, I was walking back into my student apartments, I dropped a fag butt on the ground, the receptionist caught me by the shirt collar (excessive forced used here) and dragged me outside to pick up the fag butt, I refused so he called the police and said I was drunk and abusive (neither of which is true), the police came out, asked me to pick up the fag butt as they had to get to a local club. I did as I was told by the police and then got a telling off by the receptionist.

Is this is any way my fault and/or can I get the receptionist reported to the proper authorities (who would they be?)?

(Oh and I know, dropping a fag on the ground is worthy of a €250/500 fine but it is not worthy of being dragged out of a building, OH and this will all be on camera).

Peregrinus

Eroticplants wrote: »

Is this is any way my fault and/or can I get the receptionist reported to the proper authorities (who would they be?)?

They'd be the guards. And you can get the matter reported to them by reporting it yourself.

As events have unfolded, however, you'd be on weak ground. The guards already attended the incident, and you didn't report the assault to them them at the time. That kind of weakens your credibility if you turn up a couple of days later claiming you were assaulted. The guards probably think that you're a pain in the arse anyway because they had to waste their time attending an incident that you started, and that blew up out of all proportion because (in their view) both you and the receptionist had your heads up your arses.

Plus, if the matter ever did come to court, the receptionist will point out that it was he who called the police - something he would hardly have done if he had assaulted you.

It will be easy to make your complaint look like sour grapes.

And for good measure the receptionist will renew his allegations that you were drunk and abusive. He'll point out that on your own admission you refused to pick up a cigarette butt which you concede you should never have dropped in the first place, and insinuate that this shows that you are the type who gets truculent after a feed of stout.

There's the video, but you would be banking that whatever grainy, sound-free images shows absolutely cannot be seen as the receptionist possibly trying to manage a drunk and abusive student.

I'd let this one go, to be honest.

Eroticplants

Eroticplants wrote: »

he called the police and said I was drunk and abusive (neither of which is true)

Maybe read the whole comment and don't just assume I'm a drunken arsewipe.

drkpower

Eroticplants wrote: »

Maybe read the whole comment and don't just assume I'm a drunken arsewipe.

He is just making the assumption that the Gardai are likely to make given all of the circumstances.

MagicSean

It sounds like pretty ridiculous behaviour from someone who is not drunk. Most judges differ in what they come down hard on but there are two things they all seem to hate, littering and parking in disabled bays. Your story will be that you deliberately threw the butt on the ground and would not pick it up until directed to by a Garda and you will be asserting that you were not intoxicated in any way. You don't come off very well in the story.

source

OP I've dealt with numerous incidents like this (work in a city with numerous third level institutions). You asked for advice (against forum charter) and you got it, There's no reason to get shirty when you don't like the advice you were given.

To be perfectly honest, having read your post, and drawing off my personal experience with drunk and belligerent students, I have drawn the same conclusion as Peregrinus.

What I cannot understand is why didn't you just go out and pick up the butt when you were caught out? It would have avoided the whole situation. I believe that's what's wrong with, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, the youth of today. There seems to be a sense of entitlement that means that even when caught red handed they will refuse to accept what they've done. Unless the person present someone of power to them.

Let's face it OP, you were caught doing something (while small) you shouldn't have done and when pulled up on it you got annoyed at having been caught, and in my experience you probably said something to the receptionist (who believe it or not can have proceedings taken against you and have you removed from the accommodation), and this sparked the situation you found yourself in.

newmug

EASY lesson for you OP, EASY! Dont litter, its disgusting, and people will treat you like a disgusting litter lout when you behave like one.

FreudianSlippers

Eroticplants wrote: »

Maybe read the whole comment and don't just assume I'm a drunken arsewipe.

Maybe read the charter and see "do not seek legal advice"