BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - HOW embarrassing it must have been for a Cleveland woman to stand in a public place bearing an “IDIOT” sign for two separate mornings as partial punishment for a traffic-related offence she committed on several occasions.
Shena Hardin – a 32-year-old - was caught on tape driving across a sidewalk, apparently to pass or avoid a Cleveland school bus that was collecting children.
According to an article published by the Associated Press (AP), and an accompanying video, Hardin seemed to have been in the habit of committing the act and, unfortunately for her, the driver of the school bus videotaped her on a particular day.
The article explained that the woman appeared before a Cleveland Municipal Court judge who suspended her licence for a 30-day period and ordered that she pay $250 in court costs as punishment for the offence.
Additionally, the judge ordered her to stand in public on Tuesday (Nov. 13) holding an idiot sign. The sign – AP indicated – read “Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus”.
Whether genuinely unconcerned about her punishment or whether she used these as distractors, Hardin had her headphones in her ears, smoking, text messaging and did her best to avoid the comments and honking horns of passers-by.
Another article published by the Associated Press indicates that Judge Pinkey Carr - who sentenced Hardin – said she had plans to personally supervise her because she was dissatisfied with her behaviour during the first day.
The particular incident for which she was convicted took place in September 2012.
