That's the ticket: summer of summonses.

• Author: Sanchez, Julian
• Position: Citings

NEW YORKERS WERE sorely vexed this summer by an alleged "ticketing blitz" a spate of summonses issued for violations of obscure or trivial laws in what many see as an attempt to fill dwindling city coffers. Even the people handing out the tickets are expressing frustration: New York City's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association launched a "Don't Blame the Cop" ad campaign to defuse public anger over "revenue-raising disguised as traffic control and other quality-of-life matters."

While the raw number of total summonses issued in 2003 had actually decreased relative to the previous year as of May, anecdotal evidence suggests police are being pressured to issue tickets in an attempt to meet quotas. Of III smoking-related tickets handed out during the first month of New York's new ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, 86 were for indirect violations, such as keeping ashtrays in public view or failing to post a "No Smoking" sign.

As press accounts in the New York Daily News and elsewhere recounted, Pedro Nazario was cited for feeding pigeons, while Crystal Rivera, who was six months pregnant at the time, received a ticket for sitting on subway steps. Barbers Kim Phann and Bruce Rosaro were ticketed for "loitering" in front of their own barbershop. James smith got a summons for "obstructing" a turnstile when he stopped to pick up a few coins he'd dropped on his way to the subway.

Jesse Taveras was hit with a $50 fine as punishment for his "unauthorized use of a milk crate" after the 19-year-old was caught sitting on one. Taveras told reporters the partner of the officer who ticketed him offered some consoling words: "It's not a big deal. The judge will throw it out anyway."

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