A hot dog vendor in New York reportedly trying to charge tourists $30 for a wiener has attracted the attention of law enforcement.
Ahmed Mohammed runs a stand near the World Trade Center and
NBC 4 New York cameras recently caught him charging customers $15, $20, and even $30 for a single hot dog.
“I just felt like I was getting ripped off, and it's just making the 9/11 grounds like a big tourist trap,” one woman told NBC.
A man named David told the station that Mohammed tried to charge him $15 for a hot dog and pretzel.
“I said, ‘What are you, a crook?’ I'm not a tourist, so I know the price in New York," he said.
“He was like, ‘15, maybe 10,’” Ben, another disgruntled customer, said. “And I left my bitten hot dog there. That was it.”
The Alliance for Downtown New York spokeswoman Jessica Lappin learned about the scam when fights began to break out last week over the prices.
Ron Wolfgang, head of security for the Alliance, told NBC there had been “five times since May 13 where we've observed altercations on the street over the prices being charged for hot dogs, pretzels, water, soda.”
Customers also accused Mohammed of shortchanging them.
Fox News reported that the typical price range for a hot dog in New York is $1 to $3.
According to NBC, Mohammed alters his prices from $3 to $30. His cart does not display prices, which itself is a violation of the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs requirements, though not technically illegal.
Mohammed has been issued summonses for not posting his prices and for two
Environmental Control Board violations, according to NBC New York.
Hearing the news, city councilwoman Karen Koslowitz told NBC she plans to introduce a bill to make displaying prices a law where violations will demand stricter penalties, such as a revocation of license.
“I was outraged,” Koslowitz said when she heard the report. “First with his attitude, and with the gall.”
NBC’s investigative team spoke with Mohammed’s boss Abdul, who said the vendor is new and that prices will be posted soon — hot dogs will cost $2.50.
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