Tuesday, August 16, 2011

New Yorkers critique city's jails on user-review website

USERS of the online review site Yelp - where anyone can become a critic of restaurants, nightclubs and stores - started branching out from their foodie focus by writing reviews of New York City's jails, the New York Post reported Monday.


According to Yelp, Rikers Island is the pick of the prisons, getting an average rating of 4.5 stars. "I had a terrific getaway on this luxurious island retreat," a Yelp critic named Diane B wrote. "Thank you, Rikers Island: It took me just a few weeks to realize I would never drink and drive again."



Manhattan Central Booking only averaged a paltry two stars, according to Yelp users. "I didn't try the food, but the single-serving cereal boxes make for an acceptable pillow," according to reviewer Paul K., who gave the place one of its better write-ups. "Third star is for not strip-searching me."



While some of the commenters may be internet pranksters, most of the reviews seemed to have been posted by people who actually spent time as invited guests of the police. "I wrote [a review] sort of as a laugh," 42-year-old Davisha Badone, of Manhattan, said after spending a night in jail on an assault rap after a bar fight. "It was spontaneous."

A lot of NYPD precinct houses are also reviewed on the site. Several got positive marks.




"They didn't serve me delicious vegetarian food or pour me any wine, but they were efficient and just plain nice in helping me file a report for my stolen wallet yesterday," reviewer Cara A. wrote of the 19th precinct, in Manhattan.






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