It's Friday, that must be what's affecting my sense of humor. Anyway, I guess subway tokens are the other thing that is illegal to sell but perfectly free to give away...
Actually I do something similar myself. It's illegal to resell (even at face) tickets someplace. I frequently have extra tickets for events because I usually buy more than I need to accomodate friends who might want to go (to the Belmont Stakes for example) but don't want to plan as far ahead as I might. So when I offer the tickets to strangers and they ask how much, I tell them they can just have the tickets and buy me a beer sometime if they feel like it. The only reason I want to "sell" the tickets is because I frequently go to events without tickets and I how I would feel if people just let the tickets go to waste like the pols want you to. (Last year I was someplace without tickets with a friend. I was able to purchase a pair and when I gave one of the tickets to my friend some affirmative action hire wanted to arrest me. I made it clear to her that she wouldn't have a job for long if she detained me.)
ML/NJ