An Albuquerque woman was filmed yelling obscenities at a police officer after she was arrested for allegedly riding her electric scooter in the wrong direction while intoxicated.
Lily Romero, 27, was the first resident of the New Mexico city who was arrested for DWI on an electric scooter – just days after the vehicles were legally allowed onto the town’s roadways.
Albuquerque rolled out its rent-a-scooter program operated by the Boston-based company Zagster.
Local laws require e-scooter riders to stay in bike lanes. Wherever there aren’t bike lanes, e-scooters must be ridden on sidewalks.
All e-scooter riders must also obey traffic laws. Romero was shocked to discover these rules after she was pulled over.
‘Get a real job you f****** d*** head,’ Romero is filmed yelling at police after she was pulled over on the evening of May 29.
Police pulled Romero over after she was allegedly driving an e-scooter in the opposite direction of a one-way street.
Lily Romero, 27, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was pulled over on the evening of May 29
Police said she was riding her electric scooter the wrong way down a one-way street
Romero couldn’t believe she was being pulled over and began to argue with the officer
After being stopped, Romero told police that she was returning from a bar, where she drank two beers, KOB-TV reported.
In the police complaint, officers allege that they could smell alcohol on her breath.
In the video, the officer is seen trying to explain to Romero why she is being pulled over despite her not driving a car.
‘If I fail this I’m going to get a DWI? Is that what you’re saying?’
The officer replies that there will be an investigation and that her being charged is a possibility.
‘Are you joking me?’ she says. ‘Look me in the eyes and tell me.’
The officer then explains that she was driving the wrong way down a one-way street, which is against the law in New Mexico.
‘Ma’am, you can’t be driving that on the roadway in the wrong direction of travel,’ the officer tells her.
When the officer tries to give her a field sobriety test, she says: ‘I cannot f*****g fathom this.
‘I’m riding a scooter because I don’t wanna drive drunk and you’re gonna give me a sobriety test?’
The officer is heard in the video explaining to her that state law considers an electric scooter as a motor vehicle
The officer then explains to Romero that she is required to do a field sobriety test
‘If I fail this I’m going to get a DWI? Is that what you’re saying?’ The officer replies that there will be an investigation and that her being charged is a possibility
‘Absolutely,’ the officer says.
During the sobriety test, an officer holds up a light and asks Romero to follow along with her eyes.
She then reveals that her grandfather died earlier in the day.
As the test continues, she says: ‘I just find this ridiculous, dude.’
‘This is not ridiculous,’ the officer responds. ‘Just keep following the light.’
He then asks: ‘Do you not want to do this test?’
She replies: ‘I just find you so ridiculous right now. Why are you doing this to me?’
The officer says: ‘Because I already told you Lily. You’re driving a vehicle that under state statute is considered a motor vehicle because it’s propelled by gas or electric.’
To which she replies: ‘You’re not used to this. You don’t live in a big city.
‘You’re from f*****g Albuquerque.’
‘It doesn’t matter what city I live in,’ the officer says. ‘I’m applying New Mexico State law.’
The image above shows the officer testing Romero’s sobriety with a light
She is then asked to walk a straight line but has difficulty doing so
She replies: ‘Dude, I had two beers, I had two beers. And you’re gonna tell me I have to take a [sobriety test]?’
‘So do you want to do this test or not?’ the officer asks her. ‘It’s up to you. I’m not gonna force you. And I’m not gonna argue with you.’
The officer explains to Romero that if she refuses to comply with the sobriety test, he would place her under arrest.
‘I just find this so ridiculous, dude,’ she says.
‘Well, this is real,’ the officer says.
At the local jail, a breathalyzer test showed that Romero was more than twice the legal drinking limit
Romero is then put into handcuffs after refusing to complete the sobriety test.
After she was placed under arrest, she yells at the officer: ‘Get a real job you f****** d*** head.’
She also told him: ‘You’re a f*****g idiot.’
‘Why’s that?’ the officer asks.
‘Because you arrest girls like me,’ she says.
At the local jail, a breathalyzer test showed that Romero was more than twice the legal drinking limit, KRQE-TV reported.
Court records indicate this was her first DWI.