Man arrested for shouting "Nice tips!" in public place

Michigan born man, Douglas Freeborne, 43, has been arrested for shouting an abusive and potentially offensive sexist term in public. The incident occured this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue when Freeborne allegedly saw a man he mistook for well-known business guru Malcolm Gladwell. Although more than 50 metres away from the mogul, Mr Freeborne apparently felt comfortable shouting over the heads of pedestrians in order to shout his greeting of "Nice tips!", referring to some business advice that had done particularly well for him.

"I was walking down the street when I spotted Malcolm Gladwell. Well, I thought it was him, but I was wrong. Anyway, I got real excited - I've been following his advice for years, and I tried to get his attention over the heads of the passers-by. I didn't notice anyone else, but I knew there was a group of people who were talking loudly and aggressively. I worried my chance to talk to Mr Gladwell would pass, so I tried to holler to get his attention. But it was too late. He was soon going to be out of sight, so I said the only thing that came into my head: "Nice tips!". And I meant it - he's awesome."

Freeborne's explanation for his behaviour, however, is at odds with the members of ReadFemAndWeep - a feminist book club - that were walking to Starbucks that morning to discuss Virginia Woolf.

"This pervert was walking towards us when, spotting my femininity, he clearly became aroused and started gesticulating wildly. I became enraged and my friends and I started quietly and respectfully telling him to please stop, when all of a sudden he started shouting and yelling the whole street down! He maniacally attacked me and my friends with his words, and then his piece de resistance was finally shouting 'Nice tits'. I mean, really, they are - but I was violated."

Police are yet to free Mr Freeborne, possibly for his own safety.