Man must stand trial for selling MARTA token

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 12/14/05 | ap

[logician2u]

A man accused of selling a MARTA token to a passenger having trouble with a token machine must stand trial on the criminal charge.

Judge Stephanie Davis decided Tuesday that Donald Pirone's case should be bound over to state court for trial. Pirone could face a year in jail.

An officer spotted Pirone selling the token on Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station. Following a 1992 state law that prohibits passengers from selling tokens, the officer handcuffed Pirone and gave him a citation.

Pirone says he was trying to help a fellow passenger. He says he did not ask for money and that the passenger gave him $1.75 -- the price of a token -- out of generosity.

[zip]

How do you spell "common sense"?

[noblejones]

>>
Stupidity rules in Atlanta.
<<

Bingo. Atlanta is New Orleans without the water.

[tfecw]

"Not at all. Equity consists in recognizing when the law is an ass. The aim behind the law is barely legitimate, but it is not even being furthered here. Any judge who enforces this is an ass, too."

Wait...i thought activist judges were a bad thing.

[noblejones]

>>
I can't remember any branding campaigns for Atlanta that haven't come off as totally asinine.
<<

I beg to differ. I thought

"Atlanta - Don't Worry, It's Only a Flesh Wound"

was terrific.

[rattrap]

LMAO!

"Atlanta, Get the $#^& out tha car M$#&%# $#&#er!!"

[noblejones]

>>
I'm curious if anyone knows if its safe to travel MARTA.
<<

It's not really a matter of safety so much as uselessness. MARTA is the only metro rail system that doesn't seem to go anywhere - just from one ghetto to another. Every other rail system I've used in the US, even the little one in Los Angeles, has been pretty good. MARTA is just a jobs program.

[rattrap]

It's good for going to the airport, if you don't have to haul a bunch of luggage. I use it to go to the Dome sometimes too.

[BooksForTheRight.com]

While government does this, thousands of real crimes go unpunished.

[noblejones]

>>
"Atlanta, Get the $#^& out tha car M$#&%# $#&#er!!"
<<

No, no, no -- that's the Chamber of Commerce "Young Entrepreneurs Program" ad campaign.

[JasonC]

Making up new law out of whole cloth, that nobody supports, because the judge or a few elitists want it that way, is indeed activism and undesireable. But judges acting as rational human beings with plain common sense, and waving the law in circumstances it was not meant for, where it cannot achieve its intended aim, where it is an ass and simply crushes human beings to no purpose, is equity. And absolutely essential for justice. The ability to tell the difference is why we have judges, instead of machines, sitting in judgment over men.

[mak5]

Here is the statute: § 16-12-120.1. Obtaining entry into bus, rail vehicle, or station by unlawful means.

A person who commits or attempts to commit any of the following acts shall be guilty of a misdemeanor: (1) Sells, makes, or possesses any coin, note, token, transfer, transaction card, or similar article which has been altered from its original condition contrary to its intended use to enter or gain entry into or on any bus, rail vehicle, or station; (2) Sells or exchanges any token, transfer, transaction card, ticket, fare medium, or similar article used or to be used as payment for entry into or on any bus, rail vehicle, or terminal without the express consent of the public transit agency owning or operating such vehicles or stations; (3) Offers entry or provides entry into or on any bus, rapid rail car, or station to any person without the payment of the proper fare to the public transit agency owning or operating such vehicles or stations; (4) Gains entry into or on any bus, rapid rail car, or station without the payment of the proper fare to the public transit agency owning or operating such vehicles or stations; or (5) Gains entry into or on any bus, rapid rail car, or station through the use of a transcard, transaction card, or other similar fare media which is the property of another person. Laws 1992, p. 985, § 1; Laws 1998, p. 890, § 2.

[mak5]

No, any exchange is also prohibited by the Georgia statute.

[OldEagle]

I don't believe a jury would deliberate 30 seconds before a Not Guilty verdict unless it was lunch time.

[Deguello]

Thanks.

I would read #2 as being a business set up for commerce...consent is required.

Relate this to the NFL policy that you see after every game about rebroadcasting of games. Personal or individual use is okay, but not to make money or gain. You can have your buddies over to watch last year's Super Bowl, but you cannot charge admission but you can sell them beer while they are there.

[Deguello]

Parts 3 & 4 have to do with trespassing and sneaking people in. This will be the equivalent of Theft of Services.

Part 5 may have to do with stolen property.

[Kay Ludlow]

complain about the terrible life in the cities and then they try to force the same rules and BS life style on the people living here! Then they pass laws to limit home building so no one else can move in here and ruin it for them(after they have already ruined it for us long time residents)

And I thought that was only happening here in central PA! Where do those people get these ideas anyway? Is there a newsletter on how to disrupt rural life and citify it or what??? Those people all seem to do the same things no matter where they move 'out of the city' to.

[KC_for_Freedom]

$1.75, I agree that this is a case for jury nulification. the law may be the law, but in this case it is ridiculous.

In fact, prosecuting this law is so "over the top" that the taxpayers should remove whoever wrote it from office too.

[tfecw]

"In fact, prosecuting this law is so "over the top" that the taxpayers should remove whoever wrote it from office too."

One can hope and dream! ;)