Besides wanting cops to, you know, do their jobs, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has demanded that all police officers give up their habits of wearing NYPD merchandise (like a NYPD hat) or flaunting NYPD knick-knacks (like Officer Bear). Well, maybe they could have Officer Bear... if they get permission. more ›

A Reddit poster put up a PSA on the site, simply stating: "Got a $75 ticket for walking between subway cars." Yep, them's the rules (it's in violation to "move between end doors of a subway car whether or not train is in motion, except in an emergency or when directed by police officer or conductor"). And those doors are often left unlocked... making it so very tempting to the subway scofflaw. more ›

We could use a handout like this underground; the Bold Italic has created an etiquette guide for the people of the San Francisco Muni... and it's easily translatable to our own mass transit system. They write, "People get bitch slapped on the bus everyday. To keep things relatively amicable, we've come up with an etiquette guide for all Muni riders. May the force be with you on your future commutes." They seem to have included it all: no fast food, no peeing on the seats, no nail clipping... no tickling. What did they miss? [via Laughing Squid] more ›

While the cast is banned from the city’s historic buildings, as well, Renzi says he “could not ban them from using the city (Florence) as a set.” Meanwhile, MTV has started to air the show for the first time in the country, and locals are terrified... particularly those with daughters, as Pauly D aims to pick up a wife while he's in town. (And by the way, he'll be in our town on Thursday, spinning at Pacha.) more ›

Today the NYC Health Department is relocating to new offices in Long Island City, and officials are doing their best to start things off on the right foot with new "Guidelines for Life in the Cubicle Village." As you can see from the rules below, village life here is a Utopian paradise where conscientious villagers refrain from "shouting" from hut to hut, or eating food outside of designated areas, or displaying potentially offensive "non-work related items" such as photos of loved ones. In addition, the department has updated its guidelines for food and beverages served at agency meetings and events. This means our tax dollars will no longer go toward deep fried Oreos—or fried anything, for that matter. Here are the ten important rules for proper village etiquette: more ›

We were just beginning to recover from the knowledge that soon our sexy cab drivers might not be able to show their stuff in tube tops anymore, and now City Room drops the bomb that the TLC is planning to eliminate even more "obscure" rules. Except this time, one of the rules doesn't seem too ridiculous. more ›

The Rabbinical court that governs the insular Lubavitch Hasidic sect in Crown Heights has issued an edict [pdf] telling its estimated 10,000 subordinates to stop snitching. The Beth Din of Crown Heights decreed last week that, "No one shall bring to any media outlet information about any resident that could, if publicized, lead to an investigation or intensified prosecution by any law enforcement agency." They're not supposed to talk to reporters, either, but we read about this in the Daily News and on the blog "Who Is Shmira?", where they're calling for Zaki Tamir, Chairman of the Vaad, to resign! Vaad the hell is going on here?! more ›

Yesterday, angry dog owners living in an apartment building across from Lincoln Center took up verbal arms against their condo board's attempts at installing "Draconian rules," such as banning certain breeds and forcing dogs to use service elevators. Today, the embattled pet lovers stand victorious as the condo board scrapped the strict rules. But even among the conquering owners, there is debate as to whose victory this really belongs to: "It's a victory for dog lovers," said Nick Santino, who previously called the board "an autocratic, dictatorial-like decision process." Not so fast, said Coleen Weiss, the owner of a black Lab puppy named Bongo: "It's a great day for doggies!" more ›

An apartment building on the Upper West Side has turned into a battleground between dog lovers and haters over a set of new restrictive rules, the likes of which haven't been seen since the Reign of Terror. Dog owners at One Lincoln Center, a 43-story condo tower across from Lincoln Center, are appalled at their condo board's attempts to ban certain breeds, and fine them $250 for breaking any of their rules. "There's a rush to impose these Draconian rules. They haven't been thought out. This is a form of prejudice. These people do not like dogs," said resident and dog owner Kevan Cleary. more ›

Based on public comments on draft rules, the Parks Department announced yesterday new rules regarding community gardens across the city, including more protection against eminent domain arguments. Under the proposed rules, "Active gardens under the Parks Department’s jurisdiction are preserved as gardens as long as they are registered and licensed by the Department," and "Licenses will be renewed as long as the garden satisfies the registration criteria." Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito said in a statement, “The revised rules published today represent a major step forward in the protection of our community gardens, even as we continue to explore strategies that will make these gardens a permanent part of our neighborhoods." more ›

Grub Street recently got an advance copy of tip jar advocate Steve Dublanica's new book "Keep the Change: A Clueless Tipper’s Quest to Become the Guru of the Gratuity," which is chock full of rules for how to tip. Besides splitting tips for sushi chefs and tipping on buffets, Dublanica takes a look barista tipping trends. At Starbucks, one barista says a 50 cent tip is "really generous," while at Portland’s Ristretto, baristas expect to be tipped $1 a drink like a bartender. Unless they sneak Irish Coffee into that carboard cup, we'll stick to leaving our extra change. more ›

NYU has been cracking down on filming rules following the death of one of their film students, and now a lawsuit against the school filed by his parents. John Hunt Lamensdorf died last year after being electrocuted on set for another film student's project, and many questioned the lack of a dedicated safety course in the school's curriculum. more ›

Under new rules proposed by the Bloomberg administration, many street vendors will be banished from their usual perches. On Friday the Parks Department held a hearing on the proposal, which would cut the number of vendors in city parks by 75 percent. The rules would affect vendors wishing to peddle their goods in parts of Central Park, Union Square Park, Battery Park and the High Line—where there were some issues with artists late last year. While currently there is no limit, under the new regulations Central Park would be allowed 49 artist slots, Battery Park would allow 9, Union Square would allow 18, and the High Line just 5. more ›

The rules keep coming in. Bartender and restaurant manager Patrick Maguire already published his list of 64 things restaurant patrons must never do (in response to restaurateur Bruce Buschel's list of 100 things servers should never do), but now Endless Simmer is starting their own list of customer no-nos. They back up Maguire's assertion that "Gimme" is not the proper way to start an order (pardon us), but have some new rules too: more ›

NFL owners voted 28-4 this week to apply proposed changes to overtime rules in the playoffs. Starting next season, if the coin-toss winning team kicks a field goal, the other team will get the ball. If the game is still tied after that possession, the game will continue under sudden-death rules. According to AP, only Buffalo, Cincinnati, Baltimore and, oddly, Minnesota were against the change. Minnesota lost the NFL championship game to New Orleans in overtime this past season after New Orleans won the coin toss and won with a field goal. more ›

The NFL will be voting next week to change their overtime rules from a sudden-death format, which was adopted in 1974 and which many believe gives an unfair advantage to the coin-toss winner. Almost 60% of the time the coin-toss winner wins the game, which doesn't seem that much to us but is apparently enough to warrant a vote. The proposed rule change would give both teams a chance at possession in playoff games if the team that won the coin-toss kicks a field goal on the first series. NFL Competition Committee Rich McKay tells the Daily News, "We are trying to put in a system that emphasizes more skill and strategy as opposed to the randomness of the coin flip." more ›

Is Chuck E. Cheese a hotbed of criminal activity? Andrew Fine took his young daughter to their outpost in Harlem recently and did a double-take when he saw the list of rules posted at the front door. They include: No gang style apparel—including hats, buckles, bandanas, towels. And of course, "No gang-type conduct... verbal slogans or hand signs" and absolutely "no weapons, or tools whatsoever, including knives, chains, screwdrivers, glass cutters." What happened at the Harlem Chuck E. Cheese to warrant the placement of such a sign! We've contacted the company to find out if the place "where a kid can be a kid" has a problem with violence; in the past this one in Wisconsin has been called out for being a stage for adult bad behavior. more ›

Like jaywalking on city streets, it seems that the anti-bird feeding rules in city parks aren't enforced. According to the NY Post, the people who are supposed to enforce park rules only gave out five $50 tickets last year for bird feeding... out of 18,876 summonses and violations issued in total. And the Parks Department allegedly told the paper, "It's OK to feed the pigeons as long as there are no signs saying you can't." more ›

According to Councilman Bill de Blasio, the billboard industry is "synonymous with New York," and sure, billboards are always cause for a bit of fun and controversy in this city, whether depicting orgies or co-opting Woody Allen. But there have been some real game-changers lately—revenge billboards, billboards co-opting the President, and even an FBI's Most Wanted billboard. But with such rampant innovations spurring greater and greater feats of billboarding, it was inevitable those titans of advertising might find themselves falling toward the rough waters of appeals courts. more ›

With the new year, new rules will go into effect concerning the city's carriage horses. The rules were proposed by the Health Department yesterday, and according to the NY Post would include many regulations already imposed on taxi drivers. more ›

The city will enact a new protocol allowing police officers to more quickly administer blood tests to suspected drunk drivers who have refused to take Breathalyzer tests. After several DWI suspects who declined field sobriety tests didn't have their blood drawn for hours — allowing them to sober up — the police department and the city's district attorneys forged the new agreement on Sunday to speed up the blood-testing process. more ›

In the wake of Friday's foiled terrorist bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, tough new security measures are being implemented on international flights bound for the U.S. Basically, we're just a couple more failed bombings away from flying handcuffed to the armrest, naked except for hoods over our heads. But for now—in addition to much more invasive and time-consuming pre-flight screening—the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decreed that the last hour of every flight be spent confined your seat (no bathroom privileges!) without a blanket, pillow, reading materials, personal belongings or even the precious succor of television. Those who flew over the weekend say it's a whole new world up there. more ›

After freaking out street vendors and the bloggers who love them yesterday, the Health Department has emailed us to say it was all a big misunderstanding. A provision in the Health Department's new code [pdf] raised eyebrows by declaring that "no fish, shellfish, or any food consisting of or made with an aquatic animal...shall be prepared, stored, held for service or sold from a mobile food vending unit." That's what it says, but it's not what they meant! more ›

Sheesh, now there are all these rules! A week after would-be Hamptons restaurateur Bruce Buschel published his list of 100 things restaurant servers must never do, longtime bartender and restaurant manager Patrick Maguire has fired back with some rules for people who eat at restaurants. Apparently, snapping fingers, demanding perfection, and starting a sentence with Gimmee or Get me are all frowned upon. But there are all sorts of other no-nos that come with paying strangers to serve you food. To wit: more ›

Ugh, servers. After they bring your food they're always butting in asking if you're "still working" just as you're reaching the punchline of your most well-rehearsed anecdote! Weren't we supposed to eliminate the human element from the dining experience with computers and conveyor belts by now?! While the world waits on that technology, would-be Hamptons restaurateur Bruce Buschel has completed his list of 100 things servers should never, never do. For instance: more ›

Following the pedicab crash off the Williamsburg Bridge earlier this year, the city decided to try to get those pedicab laws in order. With less than a month left to pass an inspection to obtain a license, there are reportedly only 25 of around 1,000 pedicab operators who have done so as of earlier this month. more ›

Pilots from the Northwest flight that overshot its Minneapolis destination overshot by over 100 miles spoke to investigators and, according to the Wall Street Journal, told them "that a bathroom break, chatting with a flight attendant in the cockpit and then taking out their laptops to discuss work schedules created distractions that led to more than an hour of radio silence with air-traffic controllers." Apparently the laptop use violated Northwest policy, though the federal rules don't ban them. Well, at least Pansing, Gooch, or Bumpus was involved. more ›