Are The Streets Free For All?

[Another Demise]

Recently I lost access to my cable phone service, cable internet, and digital programming. It all had to go atonce since its all connected. I do have wireless access and i get many signas, most secured/ I've had to go many places over town t get a hot spot. I recently found one in a parking lot beside the road up the hill from myhome. I was on mylap top, sitting on a wooden crate watching Elton John's Rocket Man video when just then MPD pulls up. They get out the car, ask me my name, call for back up and ask me what Iam doing. I tell them I had to get online to get a few things done. They say "well we've had a recent rash of home robberies and you are suspicious". I tell them ok but this is my computer, I'm renting it, I'm well aware of my location in relation to police headquArters. I tell them my name and addy and they tell me to call it a night. So question: Was it a request or an order?
I'm over the age for the curfew and I wasn't doing anything other then watchin' some '70s gold and hoaning my C++ skills in the dead of night.
Did I HAVE to leave?


P.S. I am a night owl you see, thats when I work, ALWAYS. I'm hoping to make a career out of the programming so I was sorta on the job too :/

[jk]

private property?

public property?

if public, what was the parking lot for?

depending on what type of property your were on, you may have been able to be cited or arrested for tresspassing or loitering if you had not complied.

[cdwjava]

If you were on private property, you likely had no lawful reason to be there. Depending on your state and local municipality, there may have been loitering ordinances in effect as well.

It was likely a polite suggestion. When it becomes an order, you'll probably know it.

- Carl

[Maxima Lover]

This is something I have been trying to find out as well. Supposedly only owners of the property and others acting on the owner's behalf (like employees) can tell you to leave.

It's not like if you are standing on your friend's front lawn, an officer can make you leave the property. Unless your friend tells you to leave.

[cdwjava]

This is not ALWAYS the case - though it tends to be. For instance, we have 30 day trespass notices that are used out here ... we also have local ordinances that prevent trespass without the specific consent of the property owner (mostly used for farm and ranch property - kinda hard to locate the farmer, but it's unlikely he approves of a a bunch of hooligans drinking in his field).

In general, the owner/manager or his/her agent must ask the person to leave, but this is not universally the case ... at least not in my state.

- Carl

[Another Demise]

it was at theend of a long ass blockbuster's lot. sum ppl use it 4 parking. i was just sitting at the end. then one day i was feelin bad and went to walk in downtown, sat on stairs on the street and the cops told me i had better go home since it was late..