A 2-Year-Old Just Got A Ticket For Littering In Washington

Littering is a real problem. As eco-conscious as most people are these days, it’s still common to see the streets of big cities littered with trash. With that being said, it’s completely understandable that law enforcement officers would issue tickets to people that litter in order to try and decrease the number of offenders. Two-year-olds should probably be off limits, though.

Harper Westover is only two years old, but she’s already in trouble with the law! The Department of Works recently issued a $75 ticket to the girls home claiming that she littered near her house. When the story broke, The Washington Post asked the child for a comment, but, all she was able to say was “hide and seek”.

“We received a notice of violation from the Department of Works in the mail yesterday claiming that our 2-year old committed a littering violation because a piece of mail with her name on it was found in an alley on the ground,” said Chuck Westover, Harper’s father. “I called the DPW Inspector that issued the ticket and explained that she had somehow issued a ticket to a two-year-old, but she refused to cancel the ticket.”

The discarded mail was addressed to the toddler from a kids club that she belonged to, Bucky’s Buddies, and many onlookers are commenting that the fact a ticket would be issued for an incident like that is ridiculous in the first place.

The story was shared by father Chuck Westover on PopVille, with some commenters saying that the ticket was “idiotic,” and that it basically meant that “if a thief stole a package and threw the packaging on the ground, or if the trash truck driver dropped some trash containing something with your name on it, you are responsible for littering.”

Fortunately, the director of the department’s communications office heard about the story after it had gone viral online. He was quick to try and resolve the issue as he contacted the Westover family and told them to submit a copy of Harper’s birth certificate and the charge would be dropped. The family did just that, and the ticket has since been rescinded.

Has this world gone mad?! You know things are crazy when two-year-olds are getting tickets. While it seems like much of the mix-up has been cleared up, this wild story still highlights a hot issue regarding when a ticket can be issued for littering.

Onlookers of this incident feel that the rules concerning when a ticket can be issued are too loose and that they don’t account for accidents made by mail delivery services or refuse collectors. It seems the Department of Works agrees that a mistake was made in this case, but what about others that are incorrectly fined?

Do you think it’s fair that someone can be fined for littering just because an envelope with their name is found on the street? Tell us your thoughts in the comments, and make sure to share this crazy story with your family and friends!