Ground Zero Vendor, Mohammed, Charges $20 For Hot Dog

Mohammed of the Changing High Prices

[From article]
Ron Wolfgang, who is in charge of security for the Alliance for Downtown New York, said, there have been "five times since May 13 where we've observed altercations on the street over the prices being charged for hot dogs, pretzels, water, soda."
NBC 4 New York's own cameras captured the price of a hot dog changing by the minute: $3 for some, $30 for others.
Several customers also accused him of short-changing them after overcharging them. One woman pointed out that he had only given her $5 in change when he was supposed to hand her $8; another woman said he didn't even give her change at all.
One woman named Ruth said, "He gave me $5 back, and I thought, '$15 for a pretzel and a water?'"
When a self-identified NBC 4 New York reporter asked the price of a hot dog, Mohammed said $3. When asked why the price changes, he claimed not to speak English -- even though cameras had captured him speaking English earlier,

[. . .]

Part of the problem is that Mohammed's prices aren't posted, as required by the city's Department of Consumer Affairs. At a hot dog cart around the corner, for example, there's no question how much a hot dog costs -- it's listed at $1.
The Department of Consumer Affairs encourages anyone who is charged more than the posted price -- or encounters a stand with no price listed at all -- to file a complaint at nyc.gov/consumers or to call 311.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Hot-Dog-Vendor-Charges-30-Dollars-Tourists-Rip-Off-New-York-City-304355861.html

Fights Break Out Over $30 Hot Dog Price at Stand Near Ground Zero: Officials
It caught the attention of officials when fights started breaking out over the prices
By Melissa Russo and Fred Mamoun

NBC News New York NY