<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 47-1 Definitions.">
  <section prefix="§" num="47-1" heading="Definitions.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Aggressive soliciting.">“Aggressive soliciting” means soliciting which is accompanied by 1 or more of the following:<para num="(1)">approaching, speaking to, or following a person in such a manner as would cause a reasonable person to fear bodily harm or the commission of a criminal act upon the person or upon property in the person’s immediate possession;</para>
      <para num="(2)">in the course of soliciting, touching another person without that person’s consent;</para>
      <para num="(3)">continuously soliciting from a person or following the person after the person has made a negative response;</para>
      <para num="(4)">intentionally blocking or interfering with the safe passage of a person or a vehicle by any means, including unreasonably causing a person to take evasive action to avoid physical contact;</para>
      <para num="(5)">using obscene or abusive language either during the course of soliciting or following a refusal; or</para>
      <para num="(6)">acting with the intent of intimidating another person into giving money or another thing of value.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Place open to the general public.">“Place open to the general public” means sidewalks, streets, alleys, driveways, parking lots and garages, parks, plazas, buildings, doorways and entrances to buildings, the grounds enclosing buildings, or the mall and/or adjacent parking areas of any shopping center to which the general public is invited for business purposes.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Soliciting.">
      <para num="(1)">“Soliciting” means any act by which 1 person requests an immediate donation of money or other thing of value from another or others in person, regardless of the solicitor’s purpose or intended use of the money or other thing of value.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The solicitation may be oral, written, or by other means of communication.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="Prior Codifications">City Code, 1976/83, art. 19, §249(b)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 93-275</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 94-447</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
