Atlanta man handcuffed, issued citation for selling subway token

<p>Transit police handcuffed and issued a citation to a man who sold a $1.75 subway token to another man who was having trouble with a token machine.</p><p>A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Jocelyn Baker, said Friday that an officer who spotted Donald Pirone, 42, selling the token on Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station could have given the man only a warning and sent him on his way.</p><p>But, Baker said the officer decided to handcuff Pirone and give him a citation for the misdemeanor offense because a 1992 state law prohibits passengers from selling tokens.</p><p>"What you've got to keep in mind is that fare abuse is a chronic problem," Baker said. "It costs MARTA millions of dollars every year."</p><p>Baker acknowledged that Pirone sold the token at face value and did not make a profit. But, she said the law is the law.</p><p>"There are customer service phones for people who are having trouble getting tokens out of the machine," Baker said. "The fact is our officer acted within the law."</p><p>As for Pirone being handcuffed, Baker said the officer felt that was necessary.</p><p>"Our officers do that for their own safety," Baker said.</p><p>There was no answer Friday at a phone listed to a Donald V. Pirone in Atlanta. He told WSB Radio that he was just trying to help a fellow passenger out who was having trouble with a token machine.</p><p>"I gave him a token and, I guess out of his generosity, he gave me the money for it," Pirone said. "But I didn't ask him for money."</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/12/134048