(a) It is unlawful for any passenger to commit any of the following acts in a bus or any other public transportation vehicle:

(1) discard litter, except into receptacles designated for that purpose;

(2) play any radio, cassette, cartridge, tape player, or similar device unless controlled by the operator, unless the device is connected to an earphone that limits the sound to the hearing of the individual user;

(3) carry or possess any weapon, explosives, acids, other dangerous articles, or live animals, except for a seeing eye dog or a hearing ear dog properly harnessed and accompanied by its owner, small animals properly packaged, or weapons carried by or animals used by a law enforcement official;

(4) obstruct, hinder, interfere with, or otherwise disrupt or disturb the operation or operator of a public transportation vehicle;

(5) board a public transportation bus through the rear exit door, unless so directed by an employee or agent of the carrier;

(6) use profane, indecent, or obscene language or actions on a public transportation vehicle, or conduct himself in a boisterous fashion while on a public transportation vehicle.

(b) Intoxicated persons may be excluded from riding in any public transportation vehicle by the vehicle's driver or operator.

(c) The driver of any public transportation vehicle may refuse to transport any person who insists on boarding the vehicle in a manner that will obviously violate any of the above provisions.

(d) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction for a first offense must be imprisoned for not more than thirty days or fined not more than two hundred dollars, for a second offense, imprisoned for not more than sixty days or fined not more than five hundred dollars, or both, and for a third or subsequent offense, imprisoned for not more than ninety days or fined not more than one thousand dollars, or both.

HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 405, eff May 12, 1986.