Ashtrays – the New Contraband

Getting caught with an unregistered gun can get you busted in New York City
- and so can possession of a new form of contraband.
Brooklyn video store owner Marty Arno learned that lesson the hard way -
he's facing a whopping $6,000 in fines after two of Mayor Bloomberg's
anti-smoking goon squad storm troopers caught him harboring one of these
deadly items.

Today's New York Post reveals that city inspectors M. Dundas and S.
Holloway gave Arno, owner of Brooklyn Heights Video, a ticket last month
charging that they had uncovered not explosives, not guns, not knives, but
"One (1) ashtray with cigarette butt, and ashes," which was "seen on the
counter of the establishment."

For this criminal offense Arno faces a hefty $2,000 fine plus two other
similar fines because the -inspectors discovered he did not have "No
Smoking" signs and had not put up a sign displaying his store's official
nonsmoking policy. 

All of these crimes violate the city's politically correct Smoke-Free Air
Act, a brainchild of New York's Mayor Bloomberg.

Said a perplexed Arno: "I'm a tiny video store - it's just me and a girl
who comes in part-time," he said. "She knows smoking policy: We don't smoke
in the store - it's bad for the videos." He explained to the Post that the
illegal ashtray is a case of mistaken identity.

"What happened was that a customer came into the store with a cigarette and
rather than make her go all the way back outside, I just let her snuff it
out in the ashtray," he told the Post.
. . .

[For the rest of the story, go to 
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2003/11/7/140056.shtml ]




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