When you see dollar bills floating toward your clutching hands from the sky, like some a question directed upward that is now answered with cash, what’s your first feeling? Joy, unremitting and excited, “I can’t believe this is happening!” joy? Yes, well, at the Mall of America in Minnesota, the person responsible for making it rain money recently was cited by cops instead of hugged.

It sounds like the perfect set-up, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune: Singers caroling happily away to the strains of “Let It Snow” while a 29-year-old man flung $1,000 in dollar bills over the third-floor railing of the Mall of America, in an apparent attempt to spread cheer.

But then the Cheer Police showed up in the form of the local cops, who cited the man with a disorderly conduct ticket. According to officials, the man just wanted to stage a publicity stunt to persuade his girlfriend to come back to him.

The man admitted to throwing the money, say the police, which was stamped with his YouTube address (where he uploaded the video of his efforts later) so people would visit his page.

In the video, the man admits he’s had a tough year but decided to chuck his “last $1,000 … to spread some holiday cheer … to make it snow money” while the singers performed. They apparently weren’t part of the stunt.

He argues that no one was hurt so he’s unsure why he was cited.

“I don’t see how holiday cheer is disorderly conduct,” he said.

A Mall of America spokeswoman said it’s the first time anyone has ever done something like that in the mall, but added that the man disrupted the singers’ performance and could’ve caused a serious situation.

Man cited after tossing $1,000 in dollar bills into Mall of America rotunda [Star Tribune]

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