quote: Police in Fairview Heights arrested a man this week for riding his lawn mower on a residential street while under the influence of alcohol as he cradled his toddler daughter in his lap, authorities said Thursday.
Paul Schwarztrauber Jr., 46, of the 200 block of Orlando Court, has been charged with felony DUI and driving while his license was revoked, said Fairview Heights police Lt. David Fellows. He was being held at the St. Clair County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Fellows said police were called to Judy Lane and Palmetti Street about 8 p.m. Monday by a neighbor who told police that Schwarztrauber was riding his mower in the street. The intersection is around the corner from Schwarztrauber's house, police said.
After a battery of sobriety tests, "we found him to be intoxicated," Fellows said. He added that officers were alarmed that Schwarztrauber was riding with his 14-month-old daughter on his lap.
"It's an unusual event, the first one I can recall in 23 years," Fellows said.
Although it is not necessary to have a valid license to operate a riding mower, Schwarztrauber was charged with driving with a revoked license because "lawnmowers aren't supposed to be on the street," Fellows said.
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Makes me think of a city councilman in our local small town (very small). He is going legally blind -- usually can't recognize me when I walk right up in front of him until I speak and he hears my voice. So obviously, he doesn't have a driver's license anymore..
...so he drives a golf cart around town. No one does anything -- small town police let him be and look after him because, obviously, the city council hires and fires the police force...
He's a really nice guy, but I think what he is doing is just wrong.
When I live in-town for a short time (we are talking very small town - population 400), I would often drive my riding mower up to the post office to pick up my mail when I didn't have a car. (Usually I would just walk)
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