Desperate Criminal

Nancy Stein brought William, her 4-year-old grandson, to New York’s Central Park for an outing when the lad announced “I have to go.” Right now, that is. With no toilet facilities nearby, William made use of a nearby bush. But even before he was finished, two Parks Commission security guards ticketed Stein for the “deposit of a noxious liquid” — complete with a $50 fine. “I guess I was incredulous. I guess I was in shock,” Stein recalled. She appealed the fine through several city departments, but it wasn’t until the case hit the newspapers that the park commissioner stepped in and dismissed the ticket. “It was a rookie officer” who “acted in haste,” the commissioner explained. (AP) ...So did William, but he had a good excuse.