Last Saturday, I brought my son to his activities at Flushing, NY ( Queens Borough ).
My car is a White Tooyta Camry and it was parked in a side street.
We went to a Food Court to have dinner and were just about to leave when I told my son to sit at the back of the car because we had lots of shopping baskets I placed in the front passenger seat.
Guess what? Two cops came over and blocked my car from leaving.
They asked who the person on the back seat was ( I responded very politely that he is my son ), and asked for my driver’s license.
After double checking with HQ, they let me go and told me politely to have a safe drive home. I asked them what on earth was wrong.
They told me they were looking for illegal Livery Cab drivers and my car fit the profile.
I left thinking to myself, why is there a law preventing someone from making money by providing a personal service to someone else simply because the city wants to protect the Taxi franchise?
These cops are being diverted towards harassing law abiding folks like me when they should be looking for criminals.
Now people like me are potential criminals.
In my hometown the cops use night vision goggles to arrest kids who are illegally making out at the beach.
>Food Court
Judge Anthony Bourdain presiding?
OH, I agree.
Years ago when I live in Jersey City, we would often shop at this one supermarket. You’d take the bus there, but coming home there were always guys waiting to drive you home with your groceries. Sure, it was illegal livery work (although I don’t actually know if it was illegal in Jersey City or not) and once in a while it gave me pause to be getting into unmarked cars with strange black guys.
But, nothing bad ever happened and it was very helpful.
My mother was a big libertarian type and all in favor of that sort of thing.
The bigger the government the smaller the citizen.
We’re becoming microscopic.