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A number of restaurants in the West Village have been receiving $100 tickets lately from the Department of Sanitation for putting benches outside. They have Miki Mihajlov, the manager at bistro Whynot, to blame for that. Mijajlov started reporting other businesses when Whynot recently received a couple tickets for its outdoor bench. Mijajlov says he was targeted by the DOS and calls the ticketing "selective justice," according to DNAinfo. "If my benches are not legit, anyone's benches are not legit," he said.
A rep for the DOS has denied Mijajlov's claim that Whynot was targeted, saying: "The Department does not single out businesses or residents when issuing violations...This particular sidewalk and the preponderance of street furniture leaves precious little space for mothers pushing strollers or for people in wheelchairs to safely navigate."
Meanwhile, neighbors who are now getting slapped with tickets are obviously annoyed. The owner of the Original Sandwich Shoppe apparently called to yell at Mijajlov: "Because of you, I got tickets!"
