When you enter a video booth and drop a token, you are in one sense "renting" the booth for the period of time provided by the token. We are advised that we can not disturb a customer with the door locked and a movie playing UNLESS we have responable belief that an ordiance is being violated. The most common reasons are sounds of the booth or the chair inside being damaged; ie: repeated loud bangs, video gate alarm from being opened, or smell of smoke (smoking inside a public building is a State of NY fine of $5,000 or more).
If you are standing in a booth with the video playing and choose not to close your door, and there is no public display of sexual behavior; the police can not interfer with you.
However, if you are standing in the hallway or loitering in a booth without the movie playing, the police can charge you with loitering for sexual purposes in New York State. If you are in the booth and do not have the door closed and are exposing yourself or engaging in any type of sexual activity; you can be arrested for public indecency. The store has no authority to waive this rule. Of course, engaging in sexual activity in the hallway or right out in the open on the sales floor (yes, they do that sometimes) or in the parking lot is simple; go to jail, do not collect $200.
|