Quebec Police Fines 91-Year-Old Canadian Granny $148 For Noisy Rocking Chair

For a long time, the image of grandmothers enjoying their twilight years was that of an old woman knitting the hours away on her front porch while seated on her rocking chair. The scene supposedly evoked a period of calm and quiet for the elderly.

However, in Quebec, a neighbour found the rocking chair of a 91-year-old granny noisy and complained to the police. What was surprising was that the Quebec police found Yvette Vachon guilty of “disturbing the peace” and fined her $148, reports National Post.

In justifying the penalty, the Quebec cops pointed to a city excessive noise bylaw that prohibits “shouting, swearing or behaving in a way to annoy the neighbors or passersby.”

Fortunately, despite being a nonagenarian, Vachon still has a knight in shining armour ready to rescue her. He is Canadian lawyer Charles Cantin, who when he learned of the fine, legally challenged the penalty.

The French-speaking cops relented and dropped the charges. The lawyer said the police treatment of Vachon was unbelievable, pointing out, “She’s everything you could hope for in a grandmother. It was the first time the police visited the apartment, and they gave a ticket,” quoted New York Post.

Despite what happened, Vachon said she would continue to lounge on her La-Z-Boy-style chair. However, she promised to exercise more care when opening and closing its footrest which she believes is the source of the noise.

Researchers from Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, explain that seniors like Vachon benefit from the rocking chair by helping elderly people with sedentary lifestyle to tone their muscles via a manageable, non-weight-bearing exercise using a rocking chair. Another study by scientists at the University of Rochester in New York said the seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia could rock away their anxiety and depression, reports Rockingchairtherapy.org.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au