Man Washes Hair With Mayo in Public Fountain, Gets Arrested

By Brett Snider, Esq. on September 18, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

An Oklahoma City man was arrested for washing his hair in a public fountain with something unexpected... mayonnaise.

Jorge Perez, 23, explained to the arresting officer Tuesday that he was soaking wet because he had "been washing his hair with mayonnaise in the Bricktown fountain," reports NewsOK.com. Perez only spent one day in jail and is now free to enjoy what other condiments he might use for bathing (perhaps olive juice?).

But what about his mayo-shampoo stunt was illegal?

Bathing in Prohibited Public Area

While the name "public" in public fountain may give you the impression that it's for public use, most decorative public fountains are not for bathing (or drinking). According to The Oklahoman, Perez was arrested on "a complaint of bathing in a prohibited public area," which apparently includes the Bricktown fountain.

Oklahoma City's municipal code prohibits swimming, bathing, or wading in fountains or the various waterways in Bricktown (there's even a working canal there), and it seems that Perez violated that rule by stopping for a quick mayo-shampoo. Luckily for Perez, this offense involves no jail time, and a maximum fine of only $302.

Since this was a citable offense involving no jail time, it's unclear why officers chose to arrest Perez and take him into custody. Perhaps he was arrested initially on suspicion of disorderly conduct, as The Oklahoman reported he was "causing a disturbance and scaring people."

A Brief Aside on Mayo Shampoo

You may be wondering why anyone, including Perez, would use mayo for shampoo. Well check out Perez's hair. We also found that mayonnaise hair treatments are actually a thing, and that it can be an inexpensive way to restore dry or damaged hair. Now back to the law.

Homeless Suspects and Fountains

The unfortunate reality of Perez's case is that he likely didn't have anywhere else to bathe himself except for Oklahoma City's Bricktown fountain, using a somewhat inexpensive treatment for his sun-fried hair. However, most cities and municipalities have ordinances preventing just about anyone from actually using or entering such a fountain.

Even if Perez wanted to sift through the fountain for spare change, he could have been charged with theft. We hope that Perez is able to find the resources to get himself off the Oklahoma City streets, because the least of his problems is that his hair smells like an old sandwich.

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