Now don't get me wrong, but this is why people hate law enforcement:

[rzemanfl]

http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2012/nov/24/woman-charged-with-riding-manatee-at-fort-desoto-p-ar-575127/

The woman did not hurt the manatee. She tried to turn herself in. They arrested her at work on a Friday, so she probably won't be able to make bail until Monday.

[DrewFlorida]

1. What is it about this that you hate?

What person thinks of riding on the back of a wild animal, animals are not toys for humans!
I'm glad she was arrested, I would hope the justice system takes into consideration her recent move to the area and therefore her ignorance, but she should have known, there is ample notifications of the Manatee's protected status in all areas they are known to frequent!
What's next humans riding on the backs of Polar Bears?

[Whovian]

2. And there's the same with swimming with dolphins!

I strongly disagree. If Law has such a hard on for protecting Manatee they should outlaw prop driven boats. She hurt no one, hurt no animal, she communed with nature.

[DrewFlorida]

13. Getting on the back of a living creature is not communing with nature, it's abusing nature!

Don't make excuses for her bad behavior. I agree, the police should have handled it with more tact, but don't try and make this seem as though she was jaywalking or something.

One of the main ways that Manatees die is caused by humans interacting with them, the Manatees then think all humans are safe and friendly and seek them out, which leads to them being run over by motor boats and their propellers.

[Whovian]

15. As a person who has ridden horses most of his life

I would have to disagree with you again. Plus, in the water, having had kids and others on my back frolicking, it's not all that bad.

[rzemanfl]

3. The fact that despite her attempt to turn herself in, they arrested her at work on the Friday

of a four day weekend which is pretty much guarantees a weekend in jail for her. That's why I said "don't get me wrong."

[narnian60]

4. I agree with Drew.

[rzemanfl]

5. So you really think that a person who commits a misdemeanor and

attempts to turn herself in is such a risk that they need to be held in jail? This woman will probably get ROR'd (released on recognizance) on Monday. Rich people do all sorts of terrible shit and are allowed to turn themselves in and make bail immediately.

[narnian60]

7. Sorry. I cannot abide stupidity when it comes to animals.

[rzemanfl]

8. So stupidity deserves a body cavity search and three nights in jail? n/t

[TalkingDog]

9. /\ THIS.

I think she should suffer the legal consequences, but the act was not deserving of time in jail.

[rzemanfl]

10. Not familiar with /\. The legal consequences of being picked on a Friday holiday are just what I

said, a body cavity search and three nights in jail waiting to see a judge unless she can raise bail.

[TalkingDog]

11. It's an arrow pointing up at the previous post. I agree completely that she was mistreated.

n/t

[rzemanfl]

12. Now I understand. n/t

[rzemanfl]

6. Allow me to give another example that happened down here a few years ago:

A motorcyclist without a helmet plowed into the back of an SUV. He flew over the back of the SUV, landed on his unprotected head (which killed him) and his bike bounced off the SUV and slid into an older model car driven by a man in his seventies. The old man whose car the motorcycle slid into inspected the damage to his car and went home. He was arrested at his home (again on a Friday) several days later for leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality although his only involvement was that debris from the accident hit his car.

[dogknob]

14. They LOOOOOOOVE picking you up on Friday. n/t

[rzemanfl]

20. In my experience they have loved it for over forty years. n/t

[kydo]

16. There is more to this story

When the incident happened I remember watching the story on Brighthouse News 13. They had interviews with the people that witnessed it.

She was laughing about it and people had told her what she was doing was illegal but she continued to doing it. She probably did just move here and when she first started taunting, touching and riding the manatee she might not have known what she was doing was wrong. BUT people told her to stop and that it was illegal, she laughed at them and continued.

Yeah, she did contact the sheriff's office later that week. I do think it was wrong to arrest her at work. They should have contacted her and gave her the option to turn herself in. BUT she should face charges. Ignorance to the law does not make it legal.

[former-republican]

17. She was laughing about it and people had told her what she was doing was illegal but she continued t

If this is true the hell with her then.

[rzemanfl]

19. I have had manatees swim past me at the beach. They are BIG animals.

I would never try to touch one, much less ride it. I've seen them swim within 6 feet of tourists who didn't even notice them.

[rzemanfl]

18. UPDATE

According to today's paper she posted $1,000 bail and got out on Saturday so she spent one night in jail. If she used a bail bondsman someone is out $200 plus the bail bond tax the state imposes.