Couple Gets $75K In Settlement After Arrest For Dancing The Charleston In NYC Subway

Consumerist ^

[SMGFan]

Unless you live in the world of Footloose, it’s quite uncommon for dancing to be classified as a crime. But one couple has been defending the right to do the Charleston in public since they were arrested for doing so back in July 2011, and it sounds like they’ve come to a satisfactory resolution. New York City has settled with the couple for $75,000 after police arrested them for dancing in a subway station.

From what CBS New York says, it doesn’t sound like the twosome were hotstepping it to solicit money, but were simply dancing together on the station platform when cops came over to ask what in the heck they were doing. Come on, everyone knows the Charleston! It’s the hot new dance. “And I responded we’re dancing, and they told us it was illegal to dance on the platform,” the woman claims. She says that at that time officers asked for identification and the woman only had a credit card. According to the couple, the officers said they’d have to go to the precinct, and the man began recording the incident. “I said ‘Hold it, wait. What are you charging us for?’ and the next thing you know…b oom, they arrested us, forced me to the ground,” the man told 1010WINS last year.

Police allegedly got angry when the filming began, said the couple, and told the twosome they were resisting arrest. They were also charged with impeding the free flow of traffic on the subway.

While the charges were ultimately dropped, the couple sued the city for putting them through the ordeal in the first place, which reportedly included a visit to police holding cells for 24 hours for the woman.

[SMGFan]

Not all are New York's Finest. Thin blue line?

[patriotsblood]

Good for them. I hope they made some money after the lawyers took their cut.

[sasquatch]

Good thing they weren’t drinking Big Gulps.

[KarlInOhio]

Good thing they weren’t drinking Big Gulps.

Or smuggling baggies of illegal white powder like salt.

[Reddy]

Woo hoo. Justice.

[Stosh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYk0KqVLArA

(for all you Whit Stillman fans out there)

[Truth29]

I wonder if the video still exists or was lost? Public officials should be subject to a video record of such interactions whenever a citizen wants. We are losing the battle of who works for who.

[Oratam]

need a Cabaret License for that

[Oberon]

The couple committed three cardinal sins. 1) They didn't respect the colors, 2) they didn't know whose turf they were on, and 3) they gave the gang some 'tude.

You never break these rules when you're in gangland.

[Fiji Hill]

Here are some hot new tunes for that hot new dance!

• Charleston--Paul Whiteman

• Charleston Charley--Birt Firman

• I'm Going to Charleston back to Charleston--The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks

• Let's All Go to Mary's House--The Savoy Orpheans

• Copenhagen--The Oriole Orchestra

• Yiddische Charlston--Nathan Glantz

• The Static Strut--The Savoy Orpheans

[roadcat]

Didn’t Michael Jackson do a music video in the subway station? And giving the other gang some attitude (a young Wesley Snipes)? The 4th rule is you need to look like Obama’s son to dance in the subway.

[SMGFan]

Bad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsUXAEzaC3Q

I prefer Fat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mU6USTBRE