Monday, November 14, 2011

When an A isn't an A, continued

From AM-NY:

When it comes to restaurant grades, not all A’s are created equal.

Dozens of eateries had all of their health inspection violations tossed because of botched paperwork, automatically giving them an A and saving them thousands in fines, according to an amNewYork analysis of health tribunal hearings between July 2010, when the letter grading system began, and September 2011.

Kevin O’Donoghue, a partner at restaurant law firm Helbraun and Levey, said 90% of the cases he’d seen dismissed were due to an inspector error, like writing the restaurant’s name or address incorrectly.

“The judges will often just say, ‘There’s too much here and I can’t be sure this is the right,’“ said O’Donoghue, who has fought more than 100 inspections and has had a few totally dismissed. “A full dismissal is mostly going to come on the basis of there not being sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.”

Because it takes inspectors months to check all of Gotham’s eateries, more than a third of the restaurants that had their violations dismissed haven’t been re-inspected, leaving them with an A in their windows.

4 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

All employees must wash their hands in the toilet, sneeze in their armpits, and fart in the food. - NYC Restaurant Health Regulation

Anonymous said...

I think that "A" rating notice is so easy to forge anyway.

Color photocopy your "B" (whatever) notice then simply substitute an "A" in its place via computer technology.

Anonymous said...

Which Chinese restaurant did you eat in George, so I can take great care to avoid it?

And what's the rule regarding "snot rockets" and waiters with itchy hemorrhoids that need scratching?

UGH! I'm eating at home more a lot now and saving some money too.

Anonymous said...

Why is every damn city agency so effed up?!?!?!?!

It amazes me that this city is even able to run at the level it does with the corruption, stupidity and lack of caring!