Have you given much thought to dressing up in costume for anything? This is the season with the upcoming Halloween and Dia de los Muertos traditions of food and treats; be sure and keep everything comfortable including your mask or accessories. If you don’t want to waste the money on an outfit just for the holiday, you can always wear it at that place where there’s someone in costume every day – fabulous Hollywood Boulevard. Remember though that even in costume, and even in Hollywood, you can still go to jail if you violate another person (assault) or prove yourself a nuisance (disturbing the peace) … just ask Spiderman (or a likeness thereof) who had several misdemeanor warrants and had to post $5,500 bail to get out of those tights.
If you are planning to go out and haunt you should post Mr. Nice Guy’s phone number (844)-400-2245 on your refrigerator and make a couple of copies for the people you trust to help you out.
Well in investigating the current costume market, there are fabulous black and white striped “jailbird” costumes and of course the orange wraps for anyone. The striped costumes are the 50’s and 60’s version of jail wear like in the Elvis Presley movie “Jailhouse Rock” are two piece sets that can be purchased reasonably ($20-30). All the extra trim like chains and ankle weight are just that … extra. There are the "Orange is the New Black” sets for women, but in this day of non-binary and mixed pronouns these types of costumes are universal. You can also consider the chain gang grey work outfits that were worn in "Cool Hand Luke” by Paul Newman and George Kennedy. Don’t forget your local neighborhood thrift store as a great inexpensive alternative for costumes you can paint or decorate to look like what you want. All would be acceptable at the modern party or seasonal festival grounds but none would make it in a COSPLAY conference. Most public events usually include general admission requirements that restrict entry with fake or disabled weapons for anybody EXCEPT performers.
Follow the rules because costuming is fun until you are forced to really wear jail clothes.
Real Jail Wear
Anywhere in California you can usually be detained by police for being a public nuisance or being a walking toxic experiment. On nights of notorious celebration and party activity (the last weekend of October), some small cities might deploy more relaxed peace officers so you may simply be taken to lockup for your own safety. Police may elect NOT TO CHARGE you if you behave well and cooperate and don’t embarrass yourself in their presence. “Yes Sir,” and-or “Yes Ma’m” is what the appropriate responses are to all questions. If you are not violent and not driving a car, they can write up a citation of their choice (disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, excessive noise, criminal mischief) and you can join the less volatile persons in their particular waiting area with whatever you are wearing. If you end up going beyond that, you will be charged appropriately and prepare to spend some time in the small house until they need to transport you to “the Big House.”
It’s very important that you state your pronouns if you are cross-gender dressed or dressed as an alien or something. Careful inventory will be taken of your belongings when you are admitted, like getting on a roller-coaster with loose valuables that you don’t want falling out of your pockets or purses on the up-side-down part of the ride. You get everything back, but it might take a day or two.
Need to get out faster than waiting until the weekend ends? Let a licensed bail agent professional from Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds lend you a real hand. They can deliver the low-cost bond to deliver your freedom (or a loved one’s freedom). Call this toll-free number (844)-400-2245 at any hour of any day, even if you are in costume.
Conflicted Identity
Being in drag or cross-dressing isn’t always the problem, sometimes people tend to get a little overreaching while in the character they are portraying. Take the case of a real guy who was dressed as Jesus Christ but had horns on his forehead to symbolize the devil. In his conflicted state of being, he sucker-punched a police officer on the grounds of a yearly Halloween festival in San Diego. Perhaps the disguise let him get away, but he was identified through surveillance and caught elsewhere. He was however, hauled back to face charges and was sentenced to 270 days in jail (all to be served on weekends). In front of the judge and the police officer harmed, and other police force members he was respectful, cooperative, and apologetic. He realized that he was driven by the devil side of his costume and probably several beers.
Maybe you would fare better and be a defender of the crowd control persons if you wore the costume of Captain America or a Marvel/DC Universe character known for their upstanding behavior. Dressing up as killer cult icons of the time like Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), or Jason (Friday 13th), or Twisty the Clown (American Horror Store) will make you appear as a prop for a haunted house and you might just act a little crazier.
There are documented arrests of people who wear crazy costumes while committing crimes of all types:
- A man in a cow costume filled a shopping cart with gallons of milk and walked it out of the store to “give away” to people in the parking lot. He was later charged with $90 of theft as the items could not be reshelved.
- Another person was caught in a gorilla suit and while out at night in a tree-covered area he was apprehended by police as a suspected stalker/burglar; instead of finding goods from someone’s home, they found methamphetamine and pipes in his costume; he was arrested on far more severe drug charges.
- A college student broke into a classmate’s apartment dressed as a Teletubby and took only the leftover Chinese food from the refrigerator. He was later cited for misdemeanor property damage – not because of the food theft but the damage to the lock when he broke in.
When you go out in costume, you can expect that retail locations will restrict you from wearing masks in their stores to eliminate problems over the Halloween weekend. While masks were a standard during the pandemic, full face disguise masks are not welcome during shopping hours at most stores.
If you are planning to do some haunting, give some serious thought to what you are going to wear. Mr. Nice Guy’s agents are prepared to process bail for any type of charges and can have you released take care of your case in the privacy of your own space, not the lockup holding space with Tinman, Toto and other characters. (844)-400-2245 can help just about any situation with reasonable answers and clear guidance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Gathering Treats
Aside from stripping the bags, buckets or pillow-cases from children out harvesting goodies on Halloween, what things might the trouble-prone choose to do for mischief? Smashing pumpkins (with no regard to the band) is destruction of personal property but the evidence doesn’t hold up long enough, so you would be released if you are apprehended. It’s not trespassing because the existence of a carved pumpkin on someone’s porch is an invitation for anyone passing. You could face civil court charges if people can prove you did something to their property with surveillance video identification or have a warrant issued if you take part in larger property invasion.
For the record, Spiderman on Hollywood Boulevard struck a tourist after a verbal altercation. His collection of warrants simplified the immediate arrest process. Warrants can make the simplest of law enforcement stops (like a vehicle safety check) a much larger event if you are part of the stopped group. You may end up being taken away from your vehicle or your friends. That makes a great story for everyone else years after the event, but probably puts the Halloween weekend on the bottom of your favorite celebrations list for the rest of your life.
Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds offers free warrant checking on the website for you or anyone you know and care about.
Unmask A Great Time
Are you still going out? Keep the Halloween spirit of costumes, haunted house tours, or parties and have fun. Ramp up to the events by indulging in marathons of horror movies. If trouble does find you, know that you have reach out to the office that never sleeps to care for the unlucky … Mr. Nice Guy Bail Bonds is there for the purpose of helping you or someone that you care about out of jail anywhere in California.
