[url=www.nydailynews.com/06-10-2003/news/story/91099p-82835c.html]Two barbers clipped for loitering - at work[/url]

By FERNANDA SANTOS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER  

Kim Phann and a buddy had stepped out of Sha's Big Time on Friday night to smoke a butt when a cop slapped them with a pair of summonses.
The charge: "loitering in front of business."

But Phann and Bruce Rosaro, 27, weren't just hanging outside the Bronx barbershop. They work there.

"We can't smoke inside because it's against the law," Phann, 23, told the Daily News. "What are we supposed to do? Go home to have a cigarette?"

It was 7 p.m., and Phann, who has been a barber at Sha's for two months, still had one more haircut to go before calling it a night.

But before he was able to get back to work, a police wagon turned the corner and slowed to a stop outside Sha's, at 935 N. Morris Park Ave., near Fowler Ave.

"Let me see some IDs," a cop told Phann and Rosaro, who said they quickly whipped out their driver's licenses.

Next thing he knew, Phann had the pink summons slip in his hand.

"Blame it on Bloomberg," they said the cop told them before driving away.

When asked about the summons, police spokesman Deputy Chief Michael Collins issued the same statement he has made regarding other tickets.

"As the Daily News is fully aware, or should be aware, there are administrative processes available to those who may have been issued summonses in error or for those who may have a legitimate reason for violating these regulations," he said. "Those procedures are clearly described on the summonses issued to violators."

Phann said he plans to appeal the summons, which does not specify a fine for his offense.

Quit beating around the bush and ban tobacco products for good already...

Wait...  the government needs the tax revenue...  hmmm...  oh never mind.

Why doesn't Bloomberg give some of his multibillion fortune to help NYC during this rough patch, instead of hassling New Yorkers and taxing businesses out of the city?

I love the "blame it on Bloomberg" bit.  If I was a cop, I wouldn't write the damn ticket, end of problem.

It's all about the revenue....always follow the money.
The cops are just tax collectors.

Could be the police are subtly protesting by being just a little idiotic about the whole thing.

Hey, NY made a little progress under Giuliani and so it's only natural to go backwards under a liberal, even if they masquerade as a conservative.

Out here in my city of Huntington Beach they are trying to nickel dime residents for parking at Recreation facilities when all they'd have to do is just up the fees for use and avoid the meters.  Then they think a fence ($45,000) will discourage people from parking in the library lot (free) right next door.  Dumb! and it's pissing off the library folks.

Well armed "tax collectors"....which come to think of it sounds awefully close to "extortionist"

ok, bring on the sherwood forest allusions...

[img]http://thesnipersnest.com/popo_1.JPG[/img]

You may be on to something.  The best way to get rid of a bad process is to follow it.