Rhianna Benson
A teenager's journey home for Christmas suddenly took a dark turn earlier this week, when a pretty common mistake almost saw him landed on the sex offender's register.
Recalling the heart-stopping incident, James, 18 - whose name has been changed to protect his identity - told Tyla he'd been heading from his flat in Manchester to his family home over 200 miles away.
His big sister had been driving the vehicle, into which he'd bundled enough clothes to last him the holiday season, and a handful of gifts.
Not long after setting off down the motorway, however, James felt a sudden urge to pee.
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Despite attempting to take his mind off it, he knew there was only one way to relieve his discomfort, and he pleaded with his sister to pull over in a lay-by.
Minutes later, the pair clocked blue lights approaching in the distance.
Recalling the terror, James' sister told Tyla: "We were driving on the motorway and there was heavy traffic. James needed the loo but we were miles from the nearest station."
She added that, in most cases, her little brother would have been able to hold it, but this day, 'it was a really dire situation'.
"We waited as long as we could," she continued. "But saw a lay-by which was easy to get to and decided to stop there to let James hide behind the car and relieve himself in the bushes."
Before James had a chance to clamber back into the vehicle, a nearby police siren began wailing, and a vehicle sporting flashing blue lights pulled up closely behind them.
"The police car parked behind my car, and then two officers got out and tapped my brother’s shoulder," his sister explained.
"'Do you think this is an acceptable place to pee?', was the first thing they said."
Despite James confessing that he wouldn't have ordinarily pulled over, he claimed he was 'desperate and trying to hide'.
Little did he know, however, that he'd broken a handful of major motorway laws - one of which could have landed him on the sex offender register.
"The police then explained that the hard shoulder was for emergencies only," his sister went on. "And exposing himself like that could land him on the sex offender list, and that its a criminal offence."
According to British laws of the road, the use of the hard shoulder for anything other than an emergency is an crime, with violations potentially resulting in a £100 fine and three penalty points.
Such is also the case with lay-bys, with leniency being possible depending on an officer's discretion, but not always guaranteed.
When it comes to roadside urination, however, the punishments can be much more severe.
As per the Public Order Act 1986, 'you can be issued a fixed penalty notice for causing distress or alarm, of up to £90'. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 could also see councils viewing public urination as 'littering', which 'can lead to fines of up to £2,500'.
And as mentioned, peeing on the side of the road - whether a motorway, a lay-by or otherwise - could be viewed as violating the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which could see charges being brought against those guilty of indecent exposure.
Potential convictions not only carry serious penalties - including a custodial sentence - but also see someone added to the sex offender's register.
Thankfully, however, after apologising profusely and promising never to do it again, James - who was still 'confused about what else he was supposed to do' - was let off with a verbal warning.
"It was a bizarre experience that set a bad tone for the rest of the drive," his sister added.