After a state law goes into effect Dec. 1, anyone who "steals ... destroys, defaces or vandalizes" those blue and green plastic toilets-on-the-go faces misdemeanor criminal charges tailored to protect the devices.

The potential penalties for a toilet vandal include a fine set by a judge or a stretch in the county lock-up for as long as 120 days, depending on a person's criminal record. Not to mention the awkwardness such charges might bring to future job interviews.

Members of North Carolina's small but determined portable toilet industry pushed the newly defined crime through the legislature this spring, fed up with pranks that often leave them with busted toilets and a messy cleanup.

Rep. Lucy Allen, a Louisburg Democrat, sponsored the bill after hearing about the problems.

"People laugh when they see a bill like this," Allen said. "But it really is a serious problem." (N&O)