A stroll through the city centre in the early hours ended in a quick trip into custody for jobless Paison Chigodho.
A police officer spotted him chatting to people as he walked through the city at 4.50am, magistrates heard on Monday, December 16.
Chigodho, 38, was issued with a dispersal notice to leave the area and not return for 48 hours.
He denied failing to obey the order - but was found guilty after the city court heard that he had only walked a few yards in 15 minutes.
Chigodho said he had only around £3 and was "negotiating with taxi drivers" to see if they would take him home to Pavior Road, Bestwood Estate.
"I was asking them to help me," said Chigodho. "They were not talking to me."
And he told the court that he was also heading in the direction of bus stops on Milton Street to check when they started running.
PC James Heavy told the court that he saw him on Clumber Street, but that he had only gone a short distance when spotted 15 minutes later.
"I saw him walking up to random drunken people. I thought I would ask him whether he was going to get a taxi."
The officer said it would have taken "only 45 seconds to one minute" to walk the distance covered between getting the ticket and his arrest.
Derek St Delroy Brown, defending, said Chigodho had been trying to hire a taxi for £3.
"It was not a surprise they said no," added Mr St Delroy Brown.
But Tony Wilkinson, prosecuting, told the court: "He didn't go."
Chigodho will be sentenced on December 20, when he is due in court after admitting an identical offence.
Presiding magistrate Rhainnon Jenkins Tsang sat with two colleagues and told Chigodho: "We saw no intention of you leaving the area.
"On the contrary, after the notice was served you sauntered backwards and forwards up Lower Parliament Street talking to people."
