CEO Ticketed For Running In Central Park Too Early

Setting aside all the mental and physical health benefits, exercise can only lead to crippling self-doubt, infantilism, and adultery. Here's yet another reason never to get off the couch: exercising can get you in trouble with the law. That's what happened to Peter Shankman this week when he was given a summons for running in Central Park too early in the morning. "Most people who've gotten in touch think it's a bogus charge, and have mentioned end of the month quotas as a reason I didn't just get a warning," he told us today.
Shankman, who is an "author, entrepreneur, speaker, and worldwide connector," was stopped by cops around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday morning while running near 85th Street on the East Side of the park. Here's his account of what happened, via Facebook:
At 4:30 this morning in Central Park, at mile 2 of my ten mile run, I was stopped by the police and given a summons for exercising in the park "before it opened." Apparently, Central Park doesn't "open" until 6am, and my exercising (running) in the park before 6am is illegal. Note - Running in the park. Not "performing sex acts for crack," or "laying down explosive charges," but "running." Because apparently, a 215 pound man running through Central Park at just over a 9:10 pace is a threat to Manhattan.
To answer the question of why I was running so early - I needed to do ten miles today as part of Ironman training. If I didn't start that early, I wouldn't be done before my first meeting of the day.
A "hey, buddy, the park doesn't open until six, you need to run on the sidewalk outside" from the police officer wouldn't have sufficed? Apparently not, since he made it clear that his boss was in the car with him, so he had to write me up.
I now get to go to court in May and fight this. What a waste of taxpayer money, and my time. Ridiculous.

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