Bruce Springsteen was arrested last November after a sobriety check at a closed National Recreation Area in New Jersey. TMZ broke the story in an account that said Springsteen was cooperative during the incident that took place at an entrance to the Gateway National Recreation Area near Sandy Hook. The arrest was made even though his blood alcohol level was 0.02 and the state's legal limit is 0.08, so the fact he was at a closed property that prohibits alcohol was a probable factor in the decision to charge him. The story likely surfaced because the virtual court case taking place soon showed up on a public docket.

A New York Post account of the story provides some even more surprising info on the circumstances. According to an unidentified "source close to Springsteen", fans that recognized Bruce riding his motorcycle flagged him down and asked if they could get a photo with him. Bruce obliged, pulling into the Recreation Area's entrance for the photo op. One of them offered Bruce a shot of Tequila, which Springsteen accepted and downed while sitting on his parked, engine not not running bike. Park Police saw him drink the shot and pulled him over as soon as he started to exit the entrance area.