SC man gets hit with $525 *federal* ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)

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SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014 fiogf49gjkf0d WCSC, CBS 5, Charleston North Charleston man facing federal charges over 89¢ drink refill Posted: Apr 16, 2014 11:28 PM EDT Updated: Apr 17, 2014 9:08 AM EDT By Sujata Jain A North Charleston man was hit with a federal fine for refilling his drink without paying. The on-site construction worker says he didn't know refills at the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston came at a price, and Wednesday, during his lunch hour, he was slapped with federal charges. The ticket was issued by the Federal Police Force at the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston after Christopher Lewis refilled his soda without paying the 89¢. A hospital spokesperson called it a "theft of government property." "Every time I look at the ticket, it's unbelievable to me,” says Lewis, who works construction. “I can't fathom the fact that I made a 89¢ mistake that cost me $525." Lewis is now out of a job. According to a hospital spokesperson, signs are posted in the cafeteria informing patrons that refills aren't free. Lewis says he never noticed the signs and admits he had refilled his drink without paying on other occasions. He says after he went back for seconds on Wednesday, a man who identified himself as the chief of police, stopped him. "As I was filling my cup up, I turned to walk off and a fella grabbed me by the arm and asked me was I going to pay for that, and I told him I wasn't aware that I had to pay for that." Lewis says he tried to pay the 89¢ right there, but wasn't allowed to. He says he wasn't given the chance to pay the cashier either. "I never had an option to make right what I had done wrong." He says he was taken to a room, given the $525 ticket for shoplifting and told not to return to the property. "I'm done there, at the VA hospital. I'm not allowed to go on the premises anymore. I asked him can I still work on the job site and just bring my lunch and not got to the cafeteria and he said he wanted me off the premises." A hospital spokesperson says it was her understanding that Lewis was aggressive during the confrontation. The medical center released the following statement: The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is fortunate to have a highly trained Federal police force to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and employees. As Federal police they are responsible for enforcing the law. Today a Federal citation was issued for shoplifting in the VA cafeteria to an individual who stated to VA police he had not paid for refills of beverages on multiple occasions, even though signs are posted in the cafeteria informing patrons refills are not free. Shoplifting is a crime. The dollar amount of the ticket is not determined by VA as it is a Federal citation. The citation may be paid or the recipient may choose to appear in Federal court to contest it. Lewis and his fiancé have contacted the Internal Affairs Office in Columbia. He says he will contest the fine in federal court. "It's about, pretty much, I guess you would say, getting your face back. I want everybody to know that I made a simple mistake, that I'm not a thief, that I'm not dishonest. I'm trying to do the right thing."
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by cortelyounext on Thu Apr 17 13:48:44 2014, in response to SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d He got off easy. The blatant attempt to refill his soda was a crime and therefore he is a criminal. What if next time he tried to get a refill of fries? What then? Dude got off easy.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by AlM on Thu Apr 17 13:55:11 2014, in response to SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d It's not a "ticket", it's a summons for a low level criminal offense. It very well may be unfair to charge him with stealing. But I know I would never assume a free refill unless I asked or a sign said so.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 14:00:27 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by AlM on Thu Apr 17 13:55:11 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d It's not a "ticket", it's a summons for a low level criminal offense Pedantry. Tickets are summonses and vice versa, in cases like this; there's an option to not appear and to pay up. I know I would never assume a free refill unless I asked or a sign said so Why not? It's fair to assume free refills unless a sign explicitly states otherwise, if you have free-standing fountains; this is common practice at restaurant businesses, especially fast-food places.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by cortelyounext on Thu Apr 17 14:04:16 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 14:00:27 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d The Nilet just attacked you in the Quantity^TM thread. Are you just going to stand or sit there and take it?
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 14:04:52 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by cortelyounext on Thu Apr 17 14:04:16 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d He attacks everyone. He must have a lot of time on his hands these days.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Nilet on Thu Apr 17 14:10:27 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 14:04:52 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d Project any harder and you could point yourself at a wall and show off powerpoint presentations, Mr. Nilet Hasn't Posted For Six Hours Where Has He Gone.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by AlM on Thu Apr 17 15:52:15 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 14:00:27 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d this is common practice at restaurant businesses, especially fast-food places. Then why do they sell different sizes of drinks?
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Re: VA hospital backs
Posted by Dave on Thu Apr 17 17:09:48 2014, in response to SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d The VA hospital that slapped a $525 federal fine on a man after he refilled his 89-cent drink without paying has backed down, choosing to issue a warning instead of a citation, a spokesperson for the facility said Thursday. Christopher T. Lewis, of North Charleston, was issued the $525 citation on Wednesday after he ignored signage indicating that there’s no such thing as a free lunch — or complimentary drink refills — at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston. Lewis, who is not a federal employee, told responding officers he had done the same thing “multiple times” before and never had any problems, hospital spokeswoman Tonya Lobbestael told FoxNews.com. “Shoplifting is against the law and the signage is very clearly posted on the drink machine,” Lobbestael said. “The same citation could be issued to anyone who is shoplifting.” But Lobbestael said Thursday afternoon that the medical center had decided "a warning in lieu of a citation is sufficient in this case." Authorities said earlier Thursday that Lewis, a construction worker who was employed near the medical center, also had been banned from his work site. It was not immediately clear whether that penalty remained in effect. “Shoplifting is against the law and the signage is very clearly posted on the drink machine. The same citation could be issued to anyone who is shoplifting.” - Tonya Lobbestael, hospital spokeswoman Lewis, who could not be reached for comment earlier Thursday by FoxNews.com, was “verbally aggressive” when confronted by VA officials and police regarding the soda, Lobbestael said. She did not elaborate. “Here’s the bottom line: They’re the police and they have a responsibility to enforce the law and protect and preserve,” she said. “And they do attempt to diffuse situations before they resort to other measures.” Lewis, meanwhile, claims he wasn’t given a chance to pay for the refill and was planning to contest the hefty fine in federal court. He told WCSC-TV he was flabbergasted by the charges. “Every time I look at the ticket, it’s unbelievable to me,” he told the station. “I can’t fathom the fact that I made a 89-cent mistake that cost me $525.” Lewis said he was grabbed by the arm by a man who identified himself as the chief of police at the VA hospital after he refilled his beverage. “I told him I wasn’t aware that I had to pay for that,” said Lewis, adding that he tried to pay at that point but wasn’t allowed to do so. Lewis said he was then taken to a private room, given the ticket and told not to return to the property. “I’m done there, at the VA hospital,” he told WCSC-TV. “I’m not allowed to go on the premises anymore.” Hospital officials confirmed in a statement that Lewis was issued a federal citation for shoplifting. The amount is not determined by VA officials and may be contested in federal court.
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Re: VA hospital backs down
Posted by Dave on Thu Apr 17 17:09:56 2014, in response to SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d The VA hospital that slapped a $525 federal fine on a man after he refilled his 89-cent drink without paying has backed down, choosing to issue a warning instead of a citation, a spokesperson for the facility said Thursday. Christopher T. Lewis, of North Charleston, was issued the $525 citation on Wednesday after he ignored signage indicating that there’s no such thing as a free lunch — or complimentary drink refills — at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston. Lewis, who is not a federal employee, told responding officers he had done the same thing “multiple times” before and never had any problems, hospital spokeswoman Tonya Lobbestael told FoxNews.com. “Shoplifting is against the law and the signage is very clearly posted on the drink machine,” Lobbestael said. “The same citation could be issued to anyone who is shoplifting.” But Lobbestael said Thursday afternoon that the medical center had decided "a warning in lieu of a citation is sufficient in this case." Authorities said earlier Thursday that Lewis, a construction worker who was employed near the medical center, also had been banned from his work site. It was not immediately clear whether that penalty remained in effect. “Shoplifting is against the law and the signage is very clearly posted on the drink machine. The same citation could be issued to anyone who is shoplifting.” - Tonya Lobbestael, hospital spokeswoman Lewis, who could not be reached for comment earlier Thursday by FoxNews.com, was “verbally aggressive” when confronted by VA officials and police regarding the soda, Lobbestael said. She did not elaborate. “Here’s the bottom line: They’re the police and they have a responsibility to enforce the law and protect and preserve,” she said. “And they do attempt to diffuse situations before they resort to other measures.” Lewis, meanwhile, claims he wasn’t given a chance to pay for the refill and was planning to contest the hefty fine in federal court. He told WCSC-TV he was flabbergasted by the charges. “Every time I look at the ticket, it’s unbelievable to me,” he told the station. “I can’t fathom the fact that I made a 89-cent mistake that cost me $525.” Lewis said he was grabbed by the arm by a man who identified himself as the chief of police at the VA hospital after he refilled his beverage. “I told him I wasn’t aware that I had to pay for that,” said Lewis, adding that he tried to pay at that point but wasn’t allowed to do so. Lewis said he was then taken to a private room, given the ticket and told not to return to the property. “I’m done there, at the VA hospital,” he told WCSC-TV. “I’m not allowed to go on the premises anymore.” Hospital officials confirmed in a statement that Lewis was issued a federal citation for shoplifting. The amount is not determined by VA officials and may be contested in federal court.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by bingbong on Thu Apr 17 17:23:45 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by AlM on Thu Apr 17 15:52:15 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d Because fools who don't comprehend that refills are free will buy the larger cup. Don't look so surprised.....
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Re: VA hospital backs down
Posted by Olog-hai* on Thu Apr 17 20:21:03 2014, in response to Re: VA hospital backs down, posted by Dave on Thu Apr 17 17:09:56 2014.* fiogf49gjkf0d Glad to hear it.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by TonyG on Thu Apr 17 23:23:00 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by bingbong on Thu Apr 17 17:23:45 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d I always get the smallest size at places with free refills.
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Fri Apr 18 00:33:11 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by bingbong on Thu Apr 17 17:23:45 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d I'll sometimes buy the larger cup if I'm either getting the meal to go or planning on finishing it hours later (and thus the thick plastic is better than slowly disintegrating paper). Since the cup is the most expensive part of the drink, places that are currently "no refills" should offer discount refills (like 25 or 50 cents) rather than full price. If a place has a fountain out but doesn't allow free refills, I ask for a cup for water. It's fun to cost them the cost of the cup (and ice). And yes, I do refill it :).
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Edwards! on Fri Apr 18 01:26:36 2014, in response to SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by Olog-hai on Thu Apr 17 13:38:44 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d now THAT is just plain ridiculous. I KNOW that place..and it IS as strict as it states,but LOADED with "authority figures who think they don't have to obey the laws they enforce.."..meaning that same fellow who did the arresting more than likely ate AND DRANK free WITH REFILLS plenty of times...along with the rest. this was just a "grandstanding show for the masses".
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by bingbong on Fri Apr 18 09:01:11 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by TonyG on Thu Apr 17 23:23:00 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d So do we. But you'd be amazed......
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Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center)
Posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Fri Apr 18 22:52:27 2014, in response to Re: SC man gets hit with $525 federal ticket for 89¢ refill (at Charleston VA medical center), posted by AlM on Thu Apr 17 13:55:11 2014. fiogf49gjkf0d But I know I would never assume a free refill unless I asked or a sign said so. If they can't be bothered to fill the drink for me, it's a free refill. The local bagel shop eventually had to move the fountain behind the counter to signal that free refills had ended.
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