Tickets for Tots?

Before she could find a public restroom, her 2-year-old son, Nathaniel decided to use a lamp post outside. A police officer nearby, who witnessed Nathaniel relieving himself, decided that it was necessary to impose a parenting lecture as well as a ticket with a $50 fine to Robboy. The article explains that the officer believed the ticket was, “’for her own protection’ in case there was ‘a pervert watching (her) son.’”

Nathaniel is in the process of being potty-trained, which gained the sympathy of many of the people posting comments online about this story.  Like Ben Crenshaw who posted, “She TRIED to get them to a toilet but a 2 year olds bladder just doesn’t last very long once the kid tells you they have to go.” However, many people felt that the law is the law and thought that this mother did not try hard enough to avoid the situation that transpired.

Laura Biddle posted, “If the child can’t hold it in public, he needs to be wearing pull-ups or some other such form of back-up. Public urination is disgusting. Good for the police officer who issued the ticket.”

What do you think? Is an accident an accident, or should the tot have been ticketed?