§ 17-2. Pedestrian safety.

(a)

Purpose. The city commission also finds that any person who intentionally blocks the passage of another person or a vehicle, which requires another person to take evasive action to avoid physical contact, constitutes a threat to the public health, welfare and safety of the citizenry. The city commission further finds that any person who begs, panhandles or solicits under circumstances where the person being solicited cannot readily escape from the undesired conduct constitutes a threat to the public health, welfare and safety of the citizenry. The city commission also finds that any person begging, panhandling or soliciting from occupants or operators of vehicles while such vehicles are on the portion of a public street currently in use by vehicular traffic and any person begging, panhandling or soliciting on traffic medians, bicycle paths or publics streets when such property is in use by vehicular traffic poses a threat to public safety and prevents the free flow of traffic on public streets.

(b)

Definitions. Except where the content otherwise requires, as used in this chapter:

(1)

Aggressively beg, panhandle or solicit means any request made in person for a donation of money or some other article of value from another person by an unwanted touching, detaining, impeding or intimidation.

(2)

Beg, panhandle or solicit means any request made in person for a donation of money or some other article of value, either by words, bodily gestures, signs or other means, from another person or to another person.

(3)

Beg, panhandle, solicit or offer to sale to or from any operator or occupant of a vehicle that is in traffic on a public street or to make an offer to sale any item or provide a service of any nature to any operator or occupant of a vehicle that is in traffic on a public street means any request made in person for a donation of money or some other article of value or an offer to sale an item or provide a service for value, either by words, bodily gestures, signs or other means, from any operator or occupant of a vehicle, coupled with an actual exchange of money or some other article of value between the person begging, panhandling or soliciting and any operator or occupant of a vehicle while that vehicle is on the portion of a public street currently in use by vehicular traffic.

(4)

Obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic means to walk, stand, sit, lie or place an object in such a manner as to block passage of another person or a vehicle, or to require another person or driver of a vehicle to take evasive action to avoid physical contact. Acts authorized as an exercise of one's constitutional right to picket or to legally protest, are not included within the definition of this term.

(5)

Beggar, panhandler or solicitor means any person traveling either by foot, vehicle or other conveyance, from place to place, requesting in person a donation of money or some other article of value, either by words, bodily gestures, signs or any other means, from another person.

(c)

Restrictions and requirements.

(1)

Beggars, panhandlers or solicitors are prohibited from obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic and aggressively begging, panhandling, soliciting or offering to sell any items on any state road located in the City of Oakland Park and any road in Oakland Park that joins a state road.

(2)

Beggars, panhandlers or solicitors are prohibited from begging, panhandling or soliciting from any operator or occupant of a vehicle that is in traffic on a public street.

(3)

No person shall stand on a traffic median, bicycle path, public street, or right of way to beg, panhandle, solicit or sale items when in use by vehicular traffic.

(Ord. No. O-2000-007, § 2, 4-19-00; Ord. No. O-2013-010, §§ 2, 3, 6-19-13)