Say What?

   Be honest. You've probably let more than one bad word slip over the years. Maybe in the heat of an argument. After stubbing your toe. After locking your keys in your car. But if you cuss in the small town of Taber, Alberta, you could be fined.
   Town council there has enacted a bylaw that contains a 150 dollar fine for cussing, screaming or even yelling in public.
   There's also a 75 dollar fine for spitting, and it also allows the local police in the community to order groups or 3 or more people to disperse immediately. It also includes a curfew for minors!
   Needless to say, the bylaw has already drawn opposition, with one group saying it could be found unconstitutional if challenged in court. As for enforcement, the town's police department won't actively be out on the look, or listen, for offenders, but may ticket those they do stumble across during their rounds.
   Cussing and spitting aren't the only things the bylaw seeks to curtail. Car-wash fundraisers could be axed because they could be classed as pan-handling, which also has a 75 dollar fine. Bars and pubs could be fined if patrons annoy or disturb anyone outside their premises.
   When the by-law was voted on, there was just one council member dissenting, and it passed 6-1.
   How do I feel about this? Sure, cussing in public is an annoyance, and downright rude if there are kids nearby. But enacting a by-law specifically targeting the occasional use of a good old-fashioned bi-labial fricative (expletive deleted) now and again is a downright @%&# idea.

TTFN