... the show starts it’s run on November 7th! I’m still too high on Halloween candy on Nov 7th to start thinking about Xmas (Full disclosure: I’m Jewish, so I really couldn’t give a crap about Xmas anyway, but you get my point).

We get your point loud and clear, Scott.

Have you seen some Christmas Creep? Tell us about it at tips@consumerist.com.

From Macy's own press release yesterday afternoon:

An internal investigation conducted by Macy's, however, discovered that no Macy's goods were found in Jin Shun. But a factory named Zheng Da Inc. in Long Island City, which also was inspected by the Department of Labor and also cited for labor law violations, was making apparently counterfeit goods with labels from a Macy's private brand. These goods, which were neither ordered nor authorized by Macy's, were private brand prints from previous seasons and of inferior quality to those made to Macy's specifications. Macy's, Inc. is considering legal action against the owners of the Zheng Da factory for unauthorized manufacturing of counterfeit goods under a label owned by Macy's.

Moreover, independent third-party monitors retained by Macy's twice inspected the Jin Shun factory in 2007 as Macy's was evaluating potential suppliers for its private brand merchandise. In both instances, the Jin Shun facility was rejected and removed from consideration because of incomplete employment record-keeping. All Macy's vendors are required to conform to the company's stringent Vendor/Supplier Code of Conduct that sets out specific standards and requirements for any vendor doing business with Macy's.

As for the other companies involved in the story—the Gap, Banana Republic, Urban Apparel, and Victoria's Secret—we've seen no similar statements so far.

"Macy's Goods Were Not Produced in Long Island City Sweatshop" [Marketwatch]
(Photo: Eddie~S)

For those of you not familiar with NYC's MetroCard system, it works like this: If you buy individual rides, after $7 you get a 15% bonus, making your ride cost $1.74 instead of $2.00. The unlimited card costs $81. So to "break even" you'd need to take about 46 trips within 30 days, or 1.5 trips every day — even on weekends. Obviously, there are a lot of people using unlimited MetroCards when they would be better off buying trips in bulk. Why are they doing this? Who knows. Maybe they don't have to pay for the cards themselves. Still, it's a lesson that can be applied to "unlimited" deals of all types. Make sure to do a little math before you buy an unlimited pass.

Subway and Bus Fares [MTA]
In Decade of Unlimited Rides, MetroCard Has Transformed How the City Travels [NYT]
It's the distribution, stupid [frumination via BuzzFeed]

We just finished our food and wanted to get a drink. We noticed the sign at Haagen-Daz advertising a Large 22 oz. Soda or Juice special for a $1 tax included. We decided to go here instead of going to the other vendor we originally ordered our food. When I reached the front, I asked for a large root beer with no ice (since my teeth are sensitive to very cold drinks and I love lots of soda). When I gave the owner a dollar for payment, he said it cost more with no ice. A little taken aback, I said "Excuse me?" He retorted, "It's on the sign."

Of course, I didn't see it on the sign but because I didn't want to hold up the line, I agreed to the ice (the ice was packed all the way so there was little soda left). I told my boyfriend about it when I sat down and started to examine the sign. My boyfriend was the one who noticed the little scribble at the bottom of the sign. I had to go up close but sure enough, there it was.

Can someone tell me..is this legal?

We weren't sure if this type of thing was allowed or not, so we took a look at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs guide to spotting false advertising. The guide helps teach consumers to spot deceptive advertising to they can report it to the city (PDF). Here's what they had to say about "fine print."

Watch out for FOOTNOTES AND ASTERISKS (“*”). The “fine print” in an advertisement sometimes changes an offer made in the large print. That’s deceptive.

With that in mind, this sign does seem to stretch the boundaries of what's allowed. If you'd like to report it to the city so the experts can evaluate it, send your pictures of the ad and a cover letter to this address:

Department of Consumer Affairs
Consumer Complaints
42 Broadway, 9th floor
New York NY 10004

FALSE ADVERTISING How to Spot It and What You Can Do About It (PDF) [NYC Department Of Consumer Affairs]

Amy points out that "the next cheapest 'New York City' hotels Expedia offers" are all in New Jersey, and all above $58/night.

Check out the full article for more reviews on the cheapest places you can stay in NYC.

"A few details about Expedia's '$58/night in NYC' ad" [NewYorkology]

If you've seen the "Bodies" exhibit at the South Street Seaport in New York City, you're entitled to a refund (click here for info) according to a new agreement between New York's Attorney General's office and Premier Exhibitions, Inc. When "Bodies" first opened here over two years ago, some opponents questioned whether the Chinese cadavers were legally obtained—or whether they were Chinese political prisoners who hadn't consented to being plastinated, flayed, and displayed by a private for-profit company. At the time, Premier Exhibitions' president said all the bodies were documented: "Although he said he was not allowed to keep copies of documents, officials at Dalian University in northern China showed him papers attesting to the origin of the remains," wrote the New York Times in 2005. Then ABC's news show "20/20" aired an investigative report this past February that showed otherwise.

From ABC News:

Premier Exhibitions says that the "unclaimed" bodies on display were legally obtained from Dalian Medical University.

ABC News' "20/20" reported earlier this year that the bodies did not come from the university but instead from a private, for-profit lab about 30 miles away. "20/20" interviewed someone who said he was a former participant in the black market, in which, he said, bodies were sold to that lab for $200 to $300 each. Dalian Medical University told ABC News that it severed its ties to the plastination lab several years ago.

Premier's former CEO Arnie Geller, who is still on the company's Board of Directors disputed the allegations on "20/20." He said that his suppliers assured him that "these are all legitimate, unclaimed bodies that have gone through Dalian Medical University."

"20/20" also reported that the inventor of plastination, Dr. Gunther von Hagens (who has touring body shows that are not related to Premier Exhibitions or their exhibits), claimed he stopped using Chinese-sourced bodies entirely because of his suspicions that they were unethically obtained:

Von Hagens says he had to cremate several bodies he received in China after detecting injuries that led him to suspect they had been executed prisoners. He says those bodies were given to him by a medical school in China to plastinate for teaching models. He said he only used Chinese bodies, all of which he received from the Chinese university, for teaching models, but has never put Chinese bodies on public display.

"There is now no way for me any more to work with specimens in China," said von Hagens, who says his company in China now only deals with animal specimens.

Oddly, there are no customs restrictions in the U.S. with plastinated corpses at the present, writes ABC News:

U.S. Customs has said that since the plastination process changes the nature of the human remains, plastinated body parts can be imported as plastic objects, not as human bodies.

This is why 21 members of Congress have sponsored a bill that would prohibit the importation of plastinated cadavers entirely.

WNYC reports that as part of the agreement, Premier Exhibitions will have to post a warning now that some of the bodies may be those of executed Chinese prisoners, which we imagine would put a damper on any future visits.

We can't find any details yet on how to request the refund, so if someone finds out, please send us a tip. Thanks to Brian and Melt for the refund contact info!

"'Bodies' exhibit avoids a stiff penalty" [Daily News] (Thanks to Alex!)

RELATED
"Cadaver Exhibition Raises Questions Beyond Taste" [New York Times]
"Exclusive: Secret Trade in Chinese Bodies" [ABC News]
"Lawmakers Call for Crackdown on Bodies Exhibits" [ABC News]
H.R. 5677 [GovTrack.us]
"State Reaches Settlement with Bodies Exhibit" [WNYC.org]
(Photo: jemsweb)

The NYPost says:

At a recent Department of Housing, Preservation and Development forum on the subject, a city bedbug educator admitted to seeing the pests on benches in subway stations - in one case, catching a ride on an unsuspecting straphanger's caboose at Brooklyn's Hoyt-Schermerhorn station, according to people at the meeting.

The official, identified as Edward Brownbear, also reported seeing the bugs on wooden benches at the Union Square and Fordham Road stations in Manhattan and The Bronx, respectively.

Well, ew. Kind of makes you appreciate those frigid outdoor comparatively-pestilence-free Chicago L platforms. Sorta.

SUBWAYS' BLOOD-BUG INVASION [NYP]

Yesterday, I went into a downtown NY Chase branch. I went to the ATM, asked for $120 and the door that dispenses the money never opened.

I went into the bank and told a teller what had happened and was instructed to stand by the machine.

When no teller came out to meet me after standing there like an idiot for 10 minutes, I went back in and asked the teller when someone was coming out. She said, oh - the money didn't come out YET? She never mentioned me to anyone.

Now I'm instructed to go to the customer service counter where they told me the machine has been doing this all week. My question as to why it's still in service was met with blank stares until one person said they didn't have the authority to do take it offline.

Then I'm told that (even though they know it's a problem) I can't get the money back for 24 to 48 hours.

I asked to see a manager and was told the same story.

As she said that, another man came in and said that he lost $200 in the SAME atm.

I politely told the manager that if one more person comes in here with the same story, I would send an e-mail to the Attorney General, FDIC, Fed. Reserve, BBB and local news. It was astounding how quickly the proper motivation was able to get the machine turned off and the money back into my account.

I have to wonder, if I didn't stand up for myself - just how many people would be out $$$ for 48 hours (and possible more)?

Good for you, Keith. It's a good thing you came along. All the customers who didn't get screwed by that ATM because you took the time to stand up to Chase owe you a hug.

(Photo: epicharmus )

The new caloric information law in New York City has begun to show itself in restaurants—yesterday we decided against a fudge brownie at Starbucks because it was over 400 calories. A reader named Spoon wrote in to let us know that Blimpie, however, still hasn't bothered to put its nutritional information back on its website. They took it down last summer in a failed attempt to skirt the NYC law before it was rewritten. Now, ten months later, they're still keeping consumers in the dark and incorrectly blaming it on New York City.

Here's the disingenuous "explanation" on their nutrition page:

Nutritional Information for Consumers in New York City
We regret that we can no longer publicly post nutritional information on our website. This development is a result of the New York City Department of Health's decision to pass a regulation requiring restaurants that already publicly provide caloric information, to post product calories on their menu boards - using the same type size as the product listing.
 
We fully support the intent of this regulation; however, due to the amount of menu items we carry, there simply isn't enough room on our existing menu boards to comply with the regulation. As a result, we will no longer be able to provide nutritional information on our website or to residents and customers of our New York City stores. We regret this inconvenience. If you have questions about this regulation, please contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and refer to Health Code Section 81.50.

Until Blimpie finally decides to be forthright about its food, you can find out how many calories are in their items on various third-party websites—here's an example.
 
"New York City Proposes New Menu Labeling Regulations"

Dr. Susan M. Trocciola, who was a resident in trauma medicine at the time, testified that she placed a finger in Mr. Persaud's rectal area after conducting a physical exam of his spine to check for a spinal-cord injury.
 
Whether the rectal exam was performed was a matter of dispute. Mr. Persaud testified that he felt a finger inserted in his rectum, but Dr. Trocciola said the exam was never carried out.

Mr. Persaud was not necessarily the most sympathetic plaintiff. It emerged during the trial that Mr. Persaud, a native of Guyana who did not complete high school, had been convicted of two misdemeanors: attempted aggravated harassment for making phone calls to an ex-girlfriend's mother in 2001 and criminal mischief for threatening a fellow motorist with a baseball bat after a minor car accident in 2007. Mr. Persaud had filed a workers' compensation claim and also sued the owner of the site where he was injured. He was awarded about $4,000 in the compensation claim, but the suit was settled for a negligible sum, Mr. Marrone said.
 
In a phone interview, Mr. Marrone said of his client, "He's not a perfect person, but he's not a criminal by any standard of the word. He's got a lot of anxiety. He reacts negatively in stressful situations and he has a short temper."

RELATED
"Doctor Forces Rectal Exam, Patient Punches Doctor, Police Arrest Patient, Patient Sues"
(Photo: Getty)

The Department issued a triumphant-sounding press release:

"Today's decision is a victory which will give New Yorkers the calorie information they need - where they need it - to make informed, healthier choices," said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden. "We hope these restaurants will accept the judgment and become part of the solution. This regulation could prevent at least 150,000 New Yorkers from becoming obese and prevent at least 30,000 New Yorkers from developing diabetes and other health concerns over the next 5 years."
"The New York City Health Code provision in dispute — which makes calorie information available at the point of purchase - is a critical component in the efforts to address the obesity epidemic," said Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo of the New York City Law Department, which litigated the case on behalf of the Health Department. "We are very pleased that Judge Holwell concluded that this provision is not pre-empted by federal regulations, and that it does not violate the First Amendment. We are confident that Judge Holwell's ruling will be upheld if it is appealed."

What's more, the judge bought the big picture argument behind the rule: "It seems reasonable to expect that some consumers will used the information disclosed ... to select lower calorie meals when eating at covered restaurants and that these choices will lead to a lower incidence of obesity," he wrote.

Judge: NYC Can Force Chain Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts [WSJ Health Blog]
Read The Court Ruling (PDF) [NYC]
Read The Compliance Guide For Restaurants (PDF) [NYC]

PREVIOUSLY: Wendy's Sends Scary Legal Threats Over Photoshopped Menu That Includes Calorie Info
NYC To Vote On New And Improved Menu Labeling Regulation
60 Minutes Tackles The Menu Labeling Controversy
New York City Proposes New Menu Labeling Regulations

"Patients' Data Stolen, Hospital Says " [New York Times]
(Photo: alexstaubo)

Correction: Verizon-FiOS Story [AP]
(Photo: Dana Spiegel)

Interesting news for apartment dwellers everywhere: Verizon is slowly creeping into Manhattan, but the difficulties of bringing FiOS to apartments will mean that some subscribers won't get 100% fiber.

A tenant in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village who orders FiOS may find that the company doesn't pull fiber all the way to the apartment, because this entails wall-mounting a box in the apartment, and not all layouts have the space for it, Cevis said.

In those cases, Verizon will pull fiber to the basement, and use a phone line to carry Internet data the last part of the way. Coaxial cable will be used for video when that becomes available. Subscribers will be able to get the fastest current Internet plan, with downloads of 50 megabits per second, but may not be able to take advantage of future speed increases available to subscribers with fiber all the way to the home.

Verizon's first choice is to take the fiber all the way to the apartment, Cevis said.

Verizon's FiOS Takes Manhattan [AP]
(Photo:Ben Popken)

NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg is cracking down on purveyors of fake luxury items, closing down 32 stores in lower Manhattan.

Tourists jostle for space at Canal Street's stores and sidewalk kiosks, bargaining with vendors over sparkly watches, handbags and perfumes with fake designer labels that are sold at a fraction of the cost of the genuine item.

But over the past five weeks, like the goods that are not what they appear to be, undercover police officers and city agents fanned out and pretended to be real shoppers in an area the mayor called the "Counterfeit Triangle" — which roughly includes Canal, Walker, Baxter and Centre Streets. They picked up items that included a Prada handbag for $40; a Patek Philippe watch and a Rolex for $80, and two pairs of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses for $18.

On Tuesday, 32 shops were closed down, a civil lawsuit was filed against the property owner — the estate of Vincent Terranova — and more than $1 million worth of counterfeit goods were confiscated as a result of the more than 40 undercover shopping sprees.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called the operation one of his administration's "biggest takedowns ever" against the "easy and sleazy" money derived from counterfeit merchandise.

"Whoever you are, wherever you are, we are going to shut you down," Mr. Bloomberg said.

City Agents Shut Down 32 Vendors of Fake Items [NYC]
(Photo: John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times)

"We had decided that money is money and we'll take it and just do the exchange whenever we can with our bank," Robert Chu, owner of East Village Wines, told Reuters television.
...
"We didn't realize we would take so much in and there were that many people traveling or having euros to bring in. But some days, you'd be surprised at how many euros you get," Chu said.

"Now we have to get familiar with other currencies and the (British) pound and the Canadian dollars we take," he said.

"Euros Accepted" signs pop up in New York City [Reuters]
(Photo:strobist)

According to Ms. Perez this decision caused the cabbie to punch her in the face.

"The guy said, 'I don't know how to use [the credit card machine],'" said Perez, who said the dispute began in front of her home near E. Third St. and Avenue C. "I said, 'I'm going to use this credit card machine.'"

Eying the gadget, Perez noticed it appeared operable and "not very difficult at all," she said. "I said, 'This is your responsibility to know how to use this machine. This is your cab. If you don't know how to use it, then I'm not paying you.'"

That's when things got physical, she said. She got out of the car and the driver, whose identity was not known, stepped in front of Perez and pushed her back into the cab. "I give you a punch in the face!" he told her, Perez said. "And he punched me in the face."

Woman says enraged cabbie hit her after credit card fiasco [Daily News]

For instance, with the noisy uncarpeted upstairs neighbors, he advises not just creating a log of all the disturbances, but hiring a professional to come in and measure the noise levels: "An expert's analysis will buttress your position and will likely be more persuasive than your mere recitation of the facts and circumstances."

"Answers About Tenant-Landlord Issues"
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

When the $.25 is inserted, the doors close verrry slowly to give plenty of time to everyone:

What follows is possibly the longest and most awkward 20 to 30 seconds of a person's day. The door slips open like an elevator, but then it stays open, to accommodate those who need extra time getting in. Meanwhile, men and women in suits walk past. It is very difficult to look inconspicuous in a bathroom on a sidewalk in New York with the door open. There is just nothing to do but stand there. And the delay will not please those who are in distress.

When you leave, a weight-sensor built into the floor confirms that nobody is inside, then the entire room is washed and sanitized by a robotic arm.

"Greetings, Earthlings. Your New Restroom Is Ready." [New York Times]
(Photo: Getty)

Instead of requiring restaurants who "already provide nutritional information" to do so on their menus, the new regulation will compel restaurants with more than 15 locations nationwide to post calorie information on menus or menu boards.

The new regulation will go into effect on March 31.

Health Department Pushes For Calorie Listings Again [NY1]

Queens prosecutors said Monday that a 51-year-old worker and his 39-year-old supervisor are charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property. They say the jewelry was stolen last week from a container marked "high value" that was being shipped from Switzerland to Brazil.

If convicted, they'll face 15 years in prison.

JFK workers charged with taking diamonds [BusinessWeek]
(Photo:Peter Gene)

The photographer suggests, "For the new year, fellow bibliophiles, let's resolve not to defile our remaining bookstores in this way."

Indeed. If you've never lived or worked New York City trust me when I say that rather than move here out of curiosity, you can simply look at this photo and know exactly what it is like.

B&N: A Sorid Epitath [BlogChelsea via Racked]
(Photo:BlogChelsea)

From Lower Hudson Online:

The Yorktown preschooler has a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis, a severe food allergy that causes a type of white blood cell to congregate in the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach, damaging the tissue when she eats.

A doctor-prescribed formula has allowed Hannah to grow to a robust 40 pounds, a normal weight for a child her age. Without it, Hannah could wind up with a feeding tube.

But the insurance program that covers her family through her father's job as a New York City police lieutenant has stopped paying for the formula, which costs $1,200 a month. Food supplements and other over-the-counter items are not covered under the family's insurance, the prescription plan administrator said.

Yorktown girl can eat only one thing: costly formula that insurance won't cover [Lower Hudson Online via Fark]
(Photo:Stuart Bayer/The Journal News)

So your charger has a few bite marks on it.... Infinitely less horrifying.

T-Mobile Wipes the Slate Clean in the West Village [Racked]
(Photo:Racked)

PREVIOUSLY: Rat Infested KFC/Taco Bell Closed Forever And Ever

From the New York Times:

Luis Martinez, 42, has managed his brother's grocery in East New York, Brooklyn, for two years. At first, despite weekly visits from an exterminator, the store's inventory was ravaged constantly by nibbling vermin.

"Every night I had to put the bread in the freezer," he said, pointing at shelves filled with bread and hamburger buns. "I was losing too much inventory. The chips and the Lipton soups all had holes in them."

Then, last winter, a friend brought Mr. Martinez a marmalade kitten in need of a home. Mr. Martinez, who was skeptical of how one slinky kitten could fend off an army of hungry rats, set up a litter box in the back of the store, put down an old fleece jacket and named the kitten Junior.

Within two weeks, Mr. Martinez said, "a miracle."

"Before you'd see giant rats running in off the streets into the store, but since Junior, no more," he said.

Junior sometimes brings Mr. Martinez mouse carcasses as gifts, which he said bothers him less than the smell that permeates his store when the exterminator's victims die and rot under a freezer.

In October, a health inspector fined Mr. Martinez $300 and warned him that if Junior was still there by the time of the next inspection he would be fined $2,000.

"He wants me to get rid of the cat, but the rats will take over if I do," Mr. Martinez said. "I need the cat, and the cat needs a home."

To Dismay of Inspectors, Prowling Cats Keep Rodents on the Run at City Delis [NYT]

It says Bloomingdale's sales receipts were the key element of Ms. Ng's alleged scheme.

After a shopper made a purchase, she would regenerate the receipt. She would then make phony merchandise returns and use the credit to create the gift cards, according to the complaint. Between September 26 and October 3, Ms. Ng is said to have used 36 separate sales receipts to create the fraudulent cards.

A loss prevention officer at Bloomingdale's informed police of Ms. Ng's scam, and she was arrested on November 7. At the time of her arrest, police found six of the gift cards in Ms. Ng's wallet, according to the complaint.

Ms. Ng was charged with a series of crimes at her arraignment the following day, including third-degree grand larceny and second-degree forgery, an official at the Manhattan district attorney's office said.

Bloomingdale's Saleswoman Is Prosecuted [NY Sun]
(Photo:scalleja)

From the New York Times:

The base subway and bus fare will remain $2, but an overwhelming majority of riders — who use unlimited-ride MetroCards or get a discount for buying multiple rides at once — will have to pay more, starting on March 2. The costs of unlimited-ride cards will rise to $81 from $76 for the 30-day card and to $25 from $24 for the 7-day card; a new 14-day card will be sold for $47.

The bonus for regular pay-per-ride cards will be reduced to 15 percent from 20 percent, but the threshold for receiving the bonus will also be reduced, to $7 from $10. With the bonuses in place, the average cost of a bonus ride will rise to $1.74 from $1.67. The express bus fare ($5) and the cost of a 7-day express bus pass ($41) remain unchanged.

Board Approves Subway and Bus Fare Increase [NYT]
(Photo:Maulleigh)

I don't see this mentioned very often but if you need help with a local cable company or telecom company you should see if your county/city has a franchise authority. My county has a very active authority and in the two times I have used them I have gotten resolution quickly for issues I had previously spent months on. In talking to my local authority they try to avoid being involved in petty billing disputes or when people haven't yet tried to resolve the issue directly but they want to be involved if you fail to get a response after a good faith effort to resolve the issue.

Situation 1:
A technician left a cable across the road and failed to tack it down. So the cable coiled up in the middle of the road and sidewalk, over the next 3 months numerous children riding bikes or just running down the sidewalk would trip and fall. Every week I would call and report this cable but nothing was ever done, well 4 days before Halloween I got desperate and tried the franchise authority (Imagine kids in costumes walking down the street close to dusk and a black cable along the ground). One hour after my email someone from the authority called me back to say that a Cable company rep would be calling me that day. They did and a tech was sent one hour later and the cable was removed!

Situation 2:
I started having problems with my cable service and repeated calls over a month would result in a tech visit who would say that the problem is upstream. During one of the tech visits I was told that some large repairs were needed at the head-end and until they were done the whole back half of my neighborhood would continue having this problem. So I sent another note to my franchise authority. Three hours later the local office manager called and said that someone would look into it first thing in the morning. The next day I was told they had confirmed the problem and it would be fixed in 3 days. Sure enough, 3 days later my cable TV was perfect!

In both cases the people who responded were helpful, followed up and kept me appraised of the status of my issue. I think it helped that in both cases I was offered service credits and discounts, which I declined to avoid any pretense that my issue was about money. I have found that this helps the escalation reps understand that the call is about the issue at hand and not someone looking for a hand-out. I was also very polite, told them how much I appreciated their help and never bashed them or their company, I would just explain my issue and my hope for a resolution. My cable provider is Charter but this should work with any provider assuming you have a strong franchise authority.

In Los Angeles, franchises are overseen by the Chief Administrative Office, who setup a hotline for consumer gripes at: (213) 922-8350.

For all other localities, try calling your local executive—Mayor, Town Supervisor, Chief Cow Herder—and ask about the local franchise authority.

Cable & Open Video System Complaint Form [DoITT]

Here is what happened over 92 rides:

• 47—slightly over half—accepted credit cards.
• 35 cabs—nearly 40%—did not have credit card readers
• 9 drivers refused to accept credit cards at all.
• 1 driver accepted the credit card, and then tried to levy his own $0.35 transaction fee.

• "There is a minimum cab fare for credit card use." (There isn't, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission.)
• There is a 35-cent transaction fee for credit cards." (Not so.)
• "It's too short a ride." (No such thing.)
• "It better be a good credit card." (Passengers can always pay with cash if the card is declined.)
• The device doesn't have to be activated until the new year. (If it is installed, passengers can use it.)

Hey, Taxi! Do You Take Credit Cards? [NYT]
(Photo by Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

"Obviously, the results are disturbing," said the inspector general, Barry L. Kluger. He added that the investigation was not meant "as a sting operation" and that it was not possible to know if the missing items were stolen by transit employees or simply "wound up in the bottom of a drawer or in a wastebasket."

The report said that the transit agency's lost property unit received more than 8,000 items each year and that only about 18 percent wound up back in the hands of their owners. Most unclaimed items were eventually auctioned off, the report said.

The audit also uncovered a chaotic system for handling property once it is turned in, with few safeguards. Often it can take weeks or months for lost items to make their way to the property unit's office where people can claim them.

Then there was the case of the lost earring. After it was found, a bus employee put the earring, which was set with what looked like a diamond, into an envelope for transfer to the lost property unit, the report said. But the envelope arrived empty.

Lost an Item in a Subway? Good Luck for Its Return [NewYork Times]
(Photo:dM.nyc)

According to the State of New York:

Effective September 1, 2007, Clothing and footwear worn by humans and costing less than $110 per item is exempt from the 4% New York State sales and use tax. This exemption does not apply to any locally imposed sales and use tax, unless the county or city imposing the tax elects to provide for it.

Effective September 1, 2007, recently enacted legislation (Chapter 82 of the Laws of 2007) provides that all clothing, footwear, and items used to make or repair clothing (hereinafter "clothing and footwear") are exempt from the 4% New York City local sales and use taxes, regardless of the cost. However, sales in New York City of clothing and footwear costing $110 or more per item or pair remain subject to the 4% New York State sales and use taxes and the ⅜% sales and use taxes imposed by the State in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD).

On Saturday I purchased a belt at Express here in NYC. They charged me sales tax.

There is no sales tax on Clothing under $110 per Item. Belts included. The store would not refund my money.

I filed a complaint with New York State Dept Of Tax and Finance (800) 698-2909.

I also complained to Express Corporate office (614) 415-4633.

After filing the complaint Express has agreed to refund me the tax $2.89

Sales Tax Clothing and Footwear - Permanent Exemption Information [State of New York]

The department says that inspectors found hundreds of live cockroaches, mouse droppings, fly infestations, and an improperly functioning sewage system. Delicious!

Department officials tell CBS 2 that both inspections revealed "rodent and fly infestation and conditions conducive to pest infestation, including stagnant water in the basement."

The plumbing was reportedly so out of line that the "sewage disposal system [was] in disrepair or not functioning properly."

On Wednesday night, the store, which has been featured in numerous Hollywood films, apparently kept open its wild zoo of filth for inspectors. The Department says the inspector came upon a live mouse, more than 100 live cockroaches, fruit flies, house flies, and piles of mouse dropping scattered about the restaurant.

Health Dept. Closes Shop Selling $25,000 Sundae [CBS2] (Thanks, Cigar!)
(Photo:scalleja)

In return, CaféScribe will be paying for Mr. Ditto's daughter's textbooks for a year. We've always considered running marathons to be insane behavior (even without carrying a backpack full of books) but Andre is confident that he can do it.

According to the press release that came sailing into our inbox, Andre will be carrying (among others) the world's heaviest textbook: Art History by Marilyn Stokstad. We have a degree in Art History. Good luck, Andre. You're going to need it to defeat Stokstad.

(Photo: Susannah Dambmann)

The mission?

To fix NYC's airport gridlock. In order to succeed, the NYC airport task force must hold secret, confidential meetings in which they will discuss the mystery of NYC's traffic nightmare.

Will they find a cure in time?

From Newsday:

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters convened the group in late September, and gave it a warning: Find a fix for chronic delays at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and its sister airports, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty, or be prepared to face a federal order reducing the number of allowed flights.

The talks, led by the Federal Aviation Administration, have been closed to the public, but participants report that one of the primary topics will be "congestion pricing," a scheme to reduce delays by making airlines think twice about scheduling flights during the busiest times of the day.

Generally, the plan would implement higher fees for planes operating at the airports during the aviation rush hours, which, in New York, coincide roughly with morning and evening commutes.

FAA, airlines brainstorm on NYC airport gridlock[Newsday]
(Photo:eliimac)

It makes no sense. You'll get one package of butter in a huge cardboard box (seen above.)

Well, that's going to change because FreshDirect is "going green."

FreshDirect says:

1. CUTTING EMISSIONS FROM OUR DELIVERY TRUCKS.
We love that our trucks have become a mass transit system for food, each one replacing the many cars and cabs that would otherwise be used to bring families and food together. We're committed to making our trucks as clean-burning and low-impact as possible. FreshDirect has partnered with Tri-State Biodiesel, a NYC-based company dedicated to providing the region with clean, renewable biodiesel sources. Tri-State uses cooking oil donated from our kitchen for use in non-toxic diesel fuel. In the next year, we plan to initiate biodiesel use in 100% of our delivery fleet. This action will both reduce emissions and cut back our use of fossil fuel products. Additionally, we are working with the city to identify locations for electrical outlets so we can plug in our trucks and refrigerate using electric engines. We hope to have our first plug-in truck in mid-2008.

2. REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF WASTE WE PRODUCE.
We recently switched our delivery boxes in favor of boxes that use 100% recycled fiber content - no virgin fibers are needed in any FreshDirect box. We're proud to announce that within the next 3 years, we'll eliminate nearly all of our cardboard delivery boxes, replacing them with recyclable plastic totes and grocery bags. Since our facility was designed with cardboard boxes in mind, switching our systems will involve a complex re-engineering process.

3. FEEDING OUR NEEDIEST NEIGHBORS.
We work hard to make sure that surplus food doesn't go to waste. Accordingly, FreshDirect is one of City Harvest's largest food suppliers, helping them to feed New York's neediest.

4. INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL PRODUCTS WE SELL.
Forging partnerships with good people doing good work has been a FreshDirect hallmark for years, and few companies sell more local products. Buying from farms, orchards, dairies and fisheries in the Tri-state area reduces the use of fossil fuels, supports artisanal craftsmanship and stimulates our local economy.

5. PROVIDING EVEN MORE INFORMATION TO HELP CUSTOMERS MAKE INFORMED CHOICES.
Environmental choices are often complicated, highly personal decisions. That's why FreshDirect believes in offering customers the opportunity to make informed choices for themselves and their families. We will continue to deliver on that commitment by looking for new ways to deliver quality food alongside thorough information. In the coming year, we'll work to increase our selection of fish certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

Fresh Direct Responds to Environmental Critics [Streetsblog] (Thanks, kimdog!)
(Photo:Janina)