"What?! Is it a crime to put my bag on the seat next to me? Oh. It is? Well, that sucks."
That is exactly what 8,700 New Yorkers learned last year between January and November, and they learned it the hard way. The New York Daily News reports that there was a 17% increase in the number of people ticketed for taking up more than one seat in the subway. These $50 fines went to people who had their bag placed on a seat, their feet up or their legs crossed no matter how empty the subway car was.
The Gothamist reported the story of seven subway riders who were ticketed for reclining in a subway car at 5:30 a.m. They also state that "you have less than a one-in-five chance at winning your case in a hearing."
One of the ticketed riders claims that the officer told him, "Recently we've been told to write tickets instead of give warnings for this type of thing." He also alleged that the officers have a quota to make.
Since they handed out 1,300 more tickets than last year, that is an increase of $65,000 worth of fines.
Related Resources:
- If You're Stopped By The Police: FAQ (FindLaw)
- New York Criminal Defense Lawyer (FindLaw)
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