Ah, New York's finest

In Far Rockaway we have profiling-- the police look for Jews to ticket. If you are familiar with the neighborhood surrounding Mott Avenue, you would realize how ludicrous it is to crack down on the one Jewish kid riding a bike on the sidewalk. The following post appeared today on the local shul list:
Does anyone (unfortunately) have experience fighting a ticket for riding a bicycle on NYC sidewalk.Mott Ave. Far Rockaway. My son received a summons to Queens Criminal Court for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. He is 17. The officer inaccurately described the incident, making it a more serious event than what actually occurred. My son rode on the street up until arriving directly in front of the store, he made the fateful decision to remain on his bike and ride up onto and across the sidewalk, where he dismounted and walked the bicycle into the store. No pedestrians were involved at all.
The officer wrote that he "observed the defendant operating a bicycle on a public sidewalk and then into a bodega causing people to walk into the street". This is NOT what happened. A lawyer we consulted stated that such language makes it appear to BE a criminal act, endangering lives.
Any advice would be appreciated
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Why do they look for Jews to ticket?
Ariella's blog said…
Because the Jews would actually pay the ticket and are not dangerous to deal with. The Mott Avenue area is very much like an inner city.
Anonymous said…
OK, that makes sense. Is it thought to be antisemitic or merely opportunistic?
Ariella's blog said…
I think it's the latter. They also lie in wait at key intersections in the exclusively Jewish section of Far Rockaway en route to the yeshiva schools and shuls. Pulling over people usually yields someone not seatbelted or some other infraction they can ticket for.

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