cover of episode 828: Minor Crimes Division

828: Minor Crimes Division

2024/4/7
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This American Life

Chapters

Ira Glass interviews Gersh Kuntzman, a journalist who takes it upon himself to correct illegal license plates in Manhattan. Kuntzman details his methods, motivations, and the reactions he's received, highlighting the prevalence of this minor crime among law enforcement officials.
  • Gersh Kuntzman corrects illegal license plates around Manhattan.
  • Many law enforcement officers obscure their plates to avoid fines and tolls.
  • Kuntzman's activism has resulted in resignations and increased ticketing of obscured plates.

Shownotes Transcript

People taking it upon themselves to solve the tiny, overlooked crimes of the world.

  • Prologue: Host Ira Glass bikes around Manhattan with Gersh Kuntzman, in search of illegal license plates. (11 minutes)
  • Act One: Writer Michael Harriot reexamines the DIY criminal justice system his mom invented to deal with his bad behavior as a child. (20 minutes)
  • Act Two: Producer Aviva DeKornfeld talks to Caveh Zahedi about a crime he may or may not have committed, depending on who you ask. (7 minutes)
  • Act Three: Micaela Blei accidentally solves a crime that had been going on for a long time, right under her nose, and has to decide what to do next. She told this story onstage at The Moth. (7 minutes)
  • Act Four: Editor Bethel Habte examines video evidence of two parents trying to get to the bottom of a minor crime committed in their own home. (7 minutes)

Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org)