Our “Change We Can Believe In” donation drive to cover $820.15 in costs due from my NYPD stop-and-frisk lawsuit — dismissed by a judge who said that I couldn’t prove that the 4 men who detained and unlawfully searched me were actually cops — was a huge success and generated more than enough in donations to cover the fee. Mailed to the city last Thursday was over 16,000 pennies, plus nickles, dimes, quarters, half-dollars (had to order these off eBay — the mint apparently doesn’t circulate half dollars anymore!), and dollar coins, as well as a few small bills to make sure the exact amount fit in the flat-rate Priority Mail box (cost to ship incl. insurance: $25). The package came to over 60 lbs., heavy enough that the post office asked me to carry it into the loading dock for them.

The city, of course, refused the shipment, as online tracking confirmed today. I’ve let the city know that if they want their money, they can arrange pickup, otherwise, I will donate the change to local homeless people (I think it would be interesting to respond to, “Can you spare some change?” with 60 lbs. of coins 🙂 ).