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'The Potatoes Had The Thickest Skin'

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 7, 2008

Where's the old Court TV when we need it? The 76-year-old "French Fry Grandma" is scheduled to go on trial in Pinellas County Court July 10 in a legal donnybrook that gets saltier by the week.

The rap? Jean Merola of Clearwater is facing charges of "obstructing a public way" by refusing to move out of a McDonald's drive-through lane while waiting for fries. It was a special order at that - hold the salt - and one that resulted in her being taken to jail in handcuffs.

Pinellas prosecutors must not have much else to do. And neither did the Clearwater cop who was behind Merola and busted her Jan. 17. Had he been content to enjoy the iced coffee he had already received, instead of confronting her about moving her vehicle so he could get by, valuable court time would not be wasted.

It reportedly takes about 3½ minutes to cook unsalted fries, but the officer, Matthew Parco, tried turning a delay that everyone encounters from time to time into a criminal case, which is appalling. Patience is needed all the way around.

Parco arrested Merola on a disorderly conduct charge, a misdemeanor crime, but prosecutors knocked it down to a local ordinance violation. That's the best that can be said about the state's actions, because prosecutors still are foolishly pressing ahead with the lesser charge.

Perhaps Merola, who has declined to plead guilty and pay an $88 fine, should have been more respectful to the officer and other Mickey D's patrons. But what's next - arresting and prosecuting people for holding up the checkout line in grocery stores while carrying on personal conversations on cell phones?

Common sense and discretion must play roles in these kinds of situations, and both the Clearwater officer and prosecutors have failed in that regard.

Pinellas County Judge Patrick Caddell, who is hearing the case, sums up the absurdity of the dispute perfectly: "Obviously," he said at a recent hearing, "the potatoes had the thickest skin of anyone that day."

The state should eat this case - with or without salt - and concentrate on prosecuting criminals.

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