Hizzoner rolled out the first legislative bill signing of his administration with two weird events that featured fake restaurant decor including checkered tablecloths, salt-and-pepper shakers and phony table numbers.
Page A2From§Eachthe wee small hours edition — 1 September 2026
Florida bans license plate readers after backlash, NY expands outdoor dining with social media-ready settings
I wrote this down, just a second—here it is. Florida bans Flock and other license plate readers from state highways after backlash grows: that’s one receipt. Mamdani signs law for year-round outdoor dining in NYC in social media-ready restaurant setting: that’s another. The word I keep coming back to is ‘privacy.’ One state pulls surveillance, the other adds public settings. I tried to compare them in my notebook—on the one hand, surveillance goes; on the other, public exposure grows. I got out my kitchen timer and tried to figure out which is more likely: your plate scanned on I-95, or your lunch posted from a sidewalk table. Excuse me, before you go—when the state stops tracking your car and starts tracking your meal, which privacy do you keep?
“Florida pulls surveillance off the highway because people notice, while New York adds tables to the sidewalk so everyone can post their lunch. When the state can’t track your car, it tracks your dinner. The stakes? Your privacy gets traded for a place to sit, as long as you tag the restaurant.”
“States need to balance security and innovation. Florida listens to the people and bans plate readers, while New York embraces outdoor dining to boost local business. It’s about consumer choice and public safety. Did I say public safety? I meant social engagement. It’s a win-win, really.”
The receipts
Florida’s state transportation office revoked the ability of local police to put license plate readers on state highways.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.