NYPD Catches Up To Hot Dog Vendor Accused Of Ripping Off Tourists

Not the vendors in question. Just wieners. (hesweptlime)

It seems the news travels fast, and in New York, the police are definitely paying attention: After a report that a hot dog vendor near Ground Zero had been caught charging customers $30 for a hot dog and overcharging on other items like pretzels, water and soda, the NYPD announced they’ve served the wiener peddler with three fines for not posting prices on his cart.

The Twitter account for NYPD’s 1st Precinct posted a photo of officers visit the vendor yesterday, Tweeting at Jessica Lappin of the Downtown Alliance to share the news of his Environmental Control Board summonses:

@JessLappin What? A $30 hot dog?! We paid him a visit. 3 ECB summonses. #PostYourPrices #WeWillBeBack @DowntownNYC http://pic.twitter.com/y8HL9WO6qC

— NYPD 1st Precinct (@NYPD1Pct) May 20, 2015

Lappin said the organization first started receiving complaints about the overpriced franks last week, with about five coming in from disgruntled folks who felt ripped off.

“People get upset about that type of thing and rightly so,” she told DNAInfo. “He shouldn’t be preying on people. It gives people, whether they live here or work here, a bad impression. It’s not the New York I know.”

It’s unclear how long he’s been trying to pull the wool over customers’ eyes, as well as how much he’s facing in fines for the three tickets.

Rip-Off Hot Dog Vendor Ticketed After Charging $30 for Wieners, Police Say [DNAInfo.com]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist