I was over at the Chaliceblog reading about Senator Craig, and I think there are some interesting points in both CC's post and the comments. However, the one thing I came away with is that should I be in Minnesota (and possibly elsewhere as well), I will try not to use public restrooms. Let's put to the side the discussion of is Mr. Craig gay, and if so does that make his political policies hypocritical, or call into question his morality. If tapping your foot and brushing your hand into the neighboring stall gets you arrested for lewd conduct, think of the trouble I could get in. I am not faulting the officer, as far as I am aware, was working well within the law. I am just astounded that such behavior, which I would classify as creepy but was unaware could be considered illegal, could lead to jail or - depending on the charge and the jurisdiction - having to register as a sex offender.
Don't get me wrong, I think people should be able to use public bathrooms without other people sticking their hands in their stalls. Interestingly, I find the term "invasion of privacy" - which was dropped, much more appropriate, but I recognize I am approaching this from a terminology standpoint rather than a legal standpoint.
Rants About New (and old) Things
