A homeless man was arrested after he claimed he was only wishing passing motorists Merry Christmas.However, police say oft-convicted public drunk Danny Ray Martin, 47, was under the influence when he was offering his yuletide wishes to downtown motorists two days before Christmas, making him a danger to himself and others.“I found him on the steps of First United Methodist Church with an open 40-ounce beer,” reported McMinnville police officer Paul Springer. “He had a strong odor of intoxicant about his person, had slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet.”Martin told the officer he was simply trying to convey best wishes to motorists.“He stated he was wishing vehicles Merry Christmas as they drove by,” Springer said, noting he responded to the scene due a complaint filed by a passing motorist.The officer said when he started to place Martin into custody, the suspect resisted arrest and had to be taken to the ground by force, at which time they found an open lock-blade knife in his back pocket. He will face hearing on the new charge this week.Martin, during his last appearance in court in November, admitted he had been arrested over 100 times for public drunkenness, noting he had entered guilty pleas to the offense on almost all those occasions.