The German phrase “Leck mich am Arsch,” the equivalent of “kiss my ass,” has been officially ruled an insult by a court in Kaiserslautern.
The district court revised an earlier ruling in a case involving a man who uttered the phrase to a policeman at a train station in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The man responded with the rude remark after the officer asked him not to smoke.
A lower court had originally acquitted the man of insulting the policeman, arguing the phrase was a common colloquial form of speech in the state. But the chamber overturned the ruling and imposed a fine after an appeal by state prosecutors.
German law criminalizes speech considered insulting or hateful. Insulting others with expletives – especially government officials – is a prosecutable offence that can result in fines or even jail time.
The law has occasionally become a source of public debate such as in the case of a North Rhine-Westphalia politician who called the controversial Thilo Sarrazin an “ass,” and was ordered to either pay a fine or go to prison.
The Local/DAPD/mdm
Comments: It's common respect. Some cops aren't that bright, but think of the crap they have to put up with too. That being said, I'd feel I got off lucky if I said that to an RCMP in Canada and just got a ticket. google "rcmp kicks man in face"
1 by Gabriel Grubb IT does not translate as "Kiss my ASS " it translate as " Lick my Arse" .An ASS and an Arse are two different things. Example " The ASS got kicked in the Arse!" .It is only dumb americans that confuse the two!
by moistvelvet Saying that to a policemen is pretty stupid. It isn't just using abusive language to government officials or policemen that can land you with a fine. If you say to someone "you are an arsehole" you can still get a fine, but if you re-phrase it as an opinion instead of fact, "I think you are an arsehole" then that is ok.
by jmwyt1 I was insulted by an officer in Arizona, USA and I called him an a**hole, he told me i needed to talk to him with respect, so I said, excuse me, Officer A**hole. I went to jail for 24 hours.