Speech won’t be exactly free in Middleborough, Mass. if the town’s police chief has his way — well, it’ll just cost you to have a potty mouth. Swearing has gotten so bad in public in the town that the city is considering a plan to start enforcing a law against obscenities.

WBZ in Boston says cursing is so bad downtown that townspeople have had enough.

“It’s intimidating to my customers,” says one business owner, “to the people who are out here downtown, and I think it’s a good thing that they’re doing something to try to curb it.”

There’s a longstanding law on the books there against obscenities, but it’s rarely enforced. The police chief wants to change that, and proposed giving out $20 tickets to try and deter the loud pottymouths.

“We have a lot more important things to do,” he admits, “but these are things that are quality of life issues, community policing issues that a lot of people don’t want to see downtown.”

He’ll have to bring his ideas for an easily enforceable system for fining public cursing at the town’s meeting in June.

Middleborough Police Chief Proposes $20 Fine For Swearing [WBZ Boston]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.