Posted on 12/09/2005 11:08:23 AM PST by ml/nj
ATLANTA - Transit police handcuffed and cited a man who sold a $1.75 subway token to another rider who was having trouble with a token vending machine.
Transit authority spokeswoman Jocelyn Baker said Friday that the officer "acted within the law" after he spotted Donald Pirone, 42, selling the token Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station
Instead of giving Pirone a warning, the officer decided to handcuff him and give him the misdemeanor citation under a 1992 state law that bars passengers from selling Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority tokens, she said.
"What you've got to keep in mind is that fare abuse is a chronic problem," Baker said. "It costs MARTA millions of dollars every year."
Baker acknowledged that Pirone sold the token at face value and did not make a profit. But the law is the law, she said.
"There are customer service phones for people who are having trouble getting tokens out of the machine," Baker said. "The fact is, our officer acted within the law."
As for the handcuffs, Baker said the officer felt they were necessary.
"Our officers do that for their own safety," Baker said.
There was no answer Friday at a phone listed to a Donald V. Pirone in Atlanta. Pirone told WSB Radio that he was just trying to help a fellow passenger out who was having trouble with a token machine.
"I gave him a token and, I guess out of his generosity, he gave me the money for it," Pirone said. "But I didn't ask him for money."
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures
No, what we've got to keep in mind is that my tagline is 100% good advice.
Common sense is very, very dead.
The law is an ass.
I can envision the scenario...if you even get a live voice, you're gonna have to wait until some publik employee gets off break to come get you fixed up. My bet: 45 minute process.
I do this all the time in the DC metro.
I always give my day passes away when i get back.
I don't get it. How can they lose money if the token was already paid for? Or are they upset because they can't sell the same token twice for a single rider?
No good deed....
Armed and dangerous
Bingo. There was an oppourtunity to make another $1.75 and they lost it.
Sissy
"We got to nip this in the bud!"
The dangers of using public transportation....
They spent more than $1.75 in the manhours spent to cuff him and take him in for booking.
Another good example of "no good deed goes unpunished."
LOL Big Time. Customer Service from a Gov't Agency/Employee. Right.
I fear and think you are correct. :-(
Listen up ATLANTA...
Citizens around this country read this and WRITE-OFF visting your stupid a$$ Atlanta. You let your petty public servants ANTAGONIZE and HARASS the taxpayer and YOU WILL PAY. Maybe not in this life but definitely in the next one.
Obviously LACK of common sense is a requirement for this job.
And people wonder why I left Atlanta, my home town? It is in the hands of thieves and fools.
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