Received an open container 'ticket' in the city of New York, while walking along the sidewalk. Not being native to the area, and after seeing a few people walking around with open containers, I asked a local shop vendor if that was permissible. I was told it was, provided the container was enclosed in a brown paper bag, which the vendor provided. Two blocks later, NYC's finest write me a summons for open container violation. Upon attempting to explain I had made a good faith effort to abide by the law and was apparently lied to, the officers response was simply "sorry he lied to you, he wants to make money" and proceeded to write the ticket. I had ONE can of beer, it was the only beer I had attempted to consume all evening, I was not being rowdy or behaving in any fashion which would have drawn attention to me. I was simply walking down the street trying to enjoy my visit to NYC. I suspect this is an all too frequent 'tourist trap' type scenario used by the city to gather revenue. In any case, to make a long story short, the office did not ask for my signature acknowledging receipt of the summons. The signature line is blank. Will this result in an unenforceable civil infraction, meaning it will get removed...or can the city still file a warrant for my arrest if I simply ignore the summons? Also, if an open container infraction is NOT a crime, but a civil infraction...how is it that a warrant for arrest can ever be an option? If I've committed no crime, how on earth can I be jailed?
