"Absurd!" A Woman in Europe Poured Coffee into a Drain and Received a Large Fine 0 11

A 38-year-old resident of West London, Burcu Yesilyurt, told reporters that she was shocked when law enforcement officers stopped her near Richmond station.

"I just wanted to act responsibly — I didn’t want to spill coffee on the bus, so I poured a little into the drain, just a few drops," she said.

At first, the woman thought it was some misunderstanding regarding the bus, but upon learning the reason for the police's attention, she was very surprised.

"I had no idea that pouring liquid into a ditch was illegal. It was a real shock," she admitted.

The BBC notes that according to the Environmental Protection Act passed in 1990, discharging any liquids into street drains is considered pollution and is punishable by a fine. Authorities conducted a review of the police officers' actions and found no violations — they behaved correctly and professionally.

Here’s what people are saying about this in comments on Facebook:

• "It’s also prohibited to use streetlight illumination for personal purposes! Very old law!"
• "But pouring liquid into a trash bag and dirtying trash bins is okay?"
• "Is it still permissible to write and urinate into the sewer?"
• "Finally, someone started noticing this nonsense, as it was impossible to walk near the drains and constantly smell this coffee."
• "In some town, a gang of Pakistanis was raping girls aged 12-16. Nobody did anything. When this all reached London and the gang was arrested, journalists asked the local police chief (a white Englishman): why did he remain inactive? The answer was simply shocking: 'I didn’t want to be accused of racism...' And here a girl poured coffee into the sewer. This is called 'the grimaces of democracy.'"
• "Oh, yes. Crystal spring water is gurgling through the drains and sewer pipes!"
• "I saw a number of arrivals from Middle Eastern countries urinating in corners on the streets, and that’s okay and apparently doesn’t contradict the law, as they would be accused of racism?"
• "Stealing from stores — no problem. Killing, stabbing — no problem. Robbed, cheated out of money — no problem. But pouring coffee is a serious violation!"
• "Wow. I thought only in France they fine for everything. It turns out they are already pressuring residents everywhere in Europe. They can’t boost the economy, so they squeeze taxes and fines from people everywhere, escalating the military situation."
• "Hordes of Pakistanis are raping English women, threatening residents with knives, robbing and beating them. But the police targeted a girl who poured coffee (by the way, a 100% natural product) into the sewer. Note — not sulfuric acid, not mercury, and not uranium, but coffee. An illusion of law and order has been created, the criminal has been punished — complete absurdity."
• "The law contradicts common sense. Coffee is a biodegradable product. It does not pollute the environment.