“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.”
nyc
Is Express Taxing Tax-Exempt Items?
By 12.1.07
An Express in New York City charged a sharp-eyed reader tax on a belt that cost $34.50. Neither the city nor state levy tax on items costing less than $110.
"$25,000 Dessert" Restaurant Closed Due To Cockroaches, Sewage, Mouse Droppings, Fly Infestations
By 11.15.07
New York’s famous Serendipity 3 restaurant, home of the world’s most expensive dessert (the $25,000 “Frrozen Haute Chocolate”), has been shut down by the New York City Health Department after the restaurant failed two health inspections in a month.
Man To Run NYC Marathon Carrying Textbooks To Protest High Cost Of College Texts
By 11.1.07
We know how much our readers hate expensive textbooks, so meet Andre Ditto, the 47 year-old vegan personal trainer who is going to run the NYC marathon carrying 30lbs of textbooks both to protest the high cost of college textbooks and as a promotion for ebook retailer CaféScribe.
Task Force Assembled To Hold Secret Meetings About NYC Airport Gridlock
By 10.12.07
A so-called “federal task force” comprised of airline executives, government officials and aviation industry groups has been assembled.
Fresh Direct To (Eventually) Stop Using Those Awful Cardboard Boxes
By 10.3.07
FreshDirect is finally doing away with the awful cardboard boxes! (For those of you who are unfamiliar, it’s like Peapod but in New York City, and not as good.) One of the main problem with Fresh Direct (from a customer standpoint) is that they pack everything in cardboard boxes.
US Airways Passenger Who Died In Airport Holding Cell Was On Her Way To Rehab
By 10.2.07
This story just keeps getting sadder. Carol Anne Gotbaum, the passenger who got into a screaming match with US Airways gate attendants and later died in a holding cell after being arrested, was on her way to an alcohol treatment center in Tucson to seek help. She was also the stepdaughter-in-law of New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.
Neighbors Complain Of "Unbearable Stench" Coming From Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant
By 9.30.07
Can having a “nice” restaurant in the neighborhood ruin your property values?
McDonald's Delivers Via New York City Subway
By 9.25.07
Reader Christopher snapped this photo of some McDonald’s employees making a delivery, via the New York City subway. Christopher is worried that the boxes contained what they say they contained—raw eggs and chicken fillet.
Cell Service Coming To NYC Subways
By 9.20.07
The New York CIty subways are going to get cellphone service, according to the Daily News.
UPDATE: Judge Says States, Cities May Require Nutrition Labeling at Restaurants
By 9.11.07
The judge in New York City found that the city’s menu labeling regulation is preempted only in one, easily fixable way.
Judge Tosses NYC Menu Labeling Regulation
By 9.11.07
UPDATE: Menu labeling isn’t dead yet, the CSPI says the judge objected to an easily fixable condition of the NYC regulation.
Like Horses? Don't Ride NYC Carriages
By 9.7.07
The next time you visit the Big Apple, you might want to steer clear of those romantic carriage rides through Central Park if you’re an animal lover. According to WCBS TV, “A New York City report says the horses that take passengers on carriage rides in Central Park and around Manhattan work without enough water, shade or veterinary exams.” The report, the first of its kind by the city, was prompted after a carriage horse collapsed and died last summer in front of onlookers.
Whoops, Where'd My Mortgage Go?
By 8.15.07
NPR interviewed a would-be Brooklynite named Claudia who is trying to buy an apartment for herself and her teenaged sons. Everything seemed settled, when all of a sudden the lender that was going to be offering Claudio her HELOC loan decided they didn’t really want to anymore.
New York's Lost And Found System For Taxis Is Awful
By 8.14.07
– There is no way to contact the garage without a receipt.
There are a few more at Gothamist. We have to wonder, if your system is going to suck that bad… why even have it? It would be better to have a sign that says, “If you leave stuff in the taxi it is immediately eaten by bears. Don’t waste your time calling us.”
Verizon CSR Gives Fake "Callback" Number That Rings A Dating Hotline
By 8.7.07
Ariel’s phone and DSL inexplicably stopped working and Verizon told her that it would cost her $91 to have it fixed. She agreed and reluctantly took a day off work to wait for the Verizon tech, who, shockingly, never showed.
Subway Is Not Ashamed: First Fast Food Restaurant To Put Calorie Info On Menus
By 7.9.07
While the other large fast food chains sue the City of New York to keep calorie information off their menus, Subway has gone ahead and complied with the New York City regulation. Dunkin’ Donuts, meanwhile, submitted a sample menu meant to “prove” that putting calorie info on its menu just couldn’t be done… and the NYC Health Department responded by having its own graphic designer redo the sign to prove that it could be done.
