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Man Cuffed For Bringing Unopened Wine On PATH Train
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 24, 2010
Modified Mar 24, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 24, 2010
Modified Mar 24, 2010
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Oenophiles and folks bringing wine to a dinner party, you're on notice: Carrying unopened bottles on the PATH train could get you handcuffed and detained by the Port Authority Police! Pavan Trivedi tells MyFoxNY that he was stopped for trying to carrying two unopened bottles of wine home on New Year's Day and that one of the officers was "aggressive from the get-go. It was as though I was being attacked from all corners."
Trivedi was at the PATH station at Greeley Square when a Port Authority cop told him he wasn't allowed to bring the bottles (visible in a clear bag) onto the train. Trivedi responded that he checked the website and PATH rules says unopened food and beverages are okay to bring aboard. Another PA cop got involved and told him, "Sir, there's no way in hell you're going to be riding the train home tonight."
Then Trivedi walked back to street level and called 911— the operator told him to get the cops' information. Back downstairs, the cops were waiting for him. Not only did one refuse to speak to the 911 operator, the other allegedly slammed Trivedi to the ground and handcuffed him. Then he was taken to a room and "berated" for an hour.
Here's the kicker: My Fox NY also reports, "A spokesperson for the Port Authority claims that a few days prior to New Years Eve station announcements warned riders that sealed bottles of alcohol were forbidden on the holiday but the same spokesperson admits he could not show Fox 5 any law or rule to support it."
And Trivedi, who says he wasn't being aggressive, was issued a ticket for trespassing—not possession of sealed bottles of wine. He's planning on suing, "This kind of situation can't transpire again ..... Not just for me but for other innocent citizens who are just attempting to go home.”
Tagged
port authority
port authority police
trespassing
wine
wine bottle
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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