“Old fart” arrested in Rehoboth Beach

Nick Pappas is an icon on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. He patrols the boards daily in what he calls his costume, which consists of a T-shirt that indicates he has gas, a visor that reads “Geezer crossing,” and a red baseball cap that says “Old Fart.”

“I wear the ‘Old Fart’ hat every day,” Pappas said.  On special occasions, Pappas replaces the worn red cap with a Korean War Veterans hat.  For a time, Pappas was president of the Korean War Veterans Association.  Pictures of Pappas shaking hands with former President Bill Clinton at the dedication of the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., hang on the wall of his Rehoboth Beach home.

Pappas worked for the U.S. Navy Department in Washington, D.C., for 35 years.  In 1995, he retired and moved into his beach home full time.  Three years ago, Pappas began walking the Boardwalk every day for exercise.  Normally, Pappas carries with him an electronic fart machine.  “People laugh like crazy,” Pappas said.

But for the next two months, Pappas will have to find another way to make people laugh because Rehoboth Beach police took his fart machine away.

Pappas, 81, was arrested for disorderly conduct after he began shouting profanities in front of young children June 22, Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks said.  Pappas was in the Beach Patrol Station on Baltimore Avenue disrupting operations, Banks said.

His fart machine was preventing lifeguards from being able to hear the beach patrol radio.  “It’s an emergency operations center,” Banks said.

The police chief said Pappas would often come into the station and leave when he was asked to.  This time, Banks said, Pappas was more intrusive and refused to leave when a police officer showed up and offered to take him home.  “He became very combative,” Banks said.

When the officer decided to force Pappas to leave the station, Pappas began using profanities in the presence of lifeguards and people being assisted in the station, including young children.  “He was so agitated he couldn’t calm down,” Banks said.

Police arrested Pappas and charged him with disorderly conduct.  Banks said Pappas was later released to his wife.

Pappas said he never entered the Beach Patrol station June 22.  He said he stopped briefly to talk to a couple of lifeguards who were sitting outside of the station as he was walking past.  Pappas said the lifeguard captain must have called the police ahead of time because an officer was waiting for him beside the patrol station.

Pappas said the officer told him to go home, but he said no because he wanted to finish his walk.  “Next thing I know he grabs my arms, squeezes them, hurts me and handcuffs me,” Pappas said.

Pappas said he has arthritis, and the pain he felt from being handcuffed caused him to use profanity.  He said the officer took him to the police station, but he was taken to Beebe Medical Center shortly after arriving because his arms were bleeding and he was complaining of pain.

Pappas arms were bandaged at Beebe, and he was taken back to Rehoboth Beach Police Department where the charges were processed.  Pappas said he was handcuffed to a bench until his wife arrived at the station to pick him up.  The police also confiscated his fart machine.

Pappas wife took him to his car on Wilmington Avenue, where he had parked it earlier that day.  Pappas said there was a $30 parking ticket on the windshield.

Banks said Rehoboth Beach Police have never arrested Pappas before, though they have received some complaints this year from business owners saying Pappas was being disruptive.  Banks said police did not want to arrest Pappas, but the officer was given no choice.

Pappas appeared before the justice of the peace July 6.  Pappas said he was not ordered to serve time in jail or pay any fines, but the judge told him he is not allowed to contact the lifeguards or go into the lifeguard station.  He is also prohibited from using his fart machine until Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Pappas said he will keep going for daily walks on the Boardwalk.  “I still have a fart machine,” he said as he turned his head to the side, stuck his tongue out and blew air through his lips to simulate the sound of flatulence.