Ritual Wrangling

I don't really understand this:

Members of the North Shore Synagogue in Syosset made their annual trek to the waters of Cold Spring Harbor Friday afternoon to observe Tashlich, a religious ceremony observed during Rosh Hashanah that includes the symbolic casting away of sins.

But this year, the 15-minute prayer service -- which often involves throwing pieces of bread into the water for a more concrete expression of one's desire to be free of sins -- ended with Suffolk police ticketing several of the congregants' cars for illegal parking.

"We're here every year," said Beth Bucheister, who's been with the temple for 10 years. "I don't know why they had to give us a hard time this year. We felt discriminated against."

Suffolk police said members of the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department told the congregants to move their parked vehicles because they were across from a fire truck street exit.

When the worshippers failed to do that, firefighters called Suffolk police.

Fire officials declined to comment, but Deputy Insp. Thomas Brandon of the Second Precinct in Huntington, said six $25 tickets were issued.

"They make no-stopping, no-standing zones in front of firehouses so they can get their equipment out," he said.

Bucheister, who attended the prayer service with her niece and nephew, said she told fire officials that it was a short ceremony and they would move the cars soon.

But, Bucheister said, they told her she was in the way of their fire truck getting out in an emergency.

When she and the others returned, their cars were being ticketed by a police officer.

"It's a Jewish holiday. They should have, out of respect, not done that," said participant Eileen Rosen.

Um, huh? While I'm sure it was upsetting for those people who got ticketing while performing a religious ritual, why in the world should they have been afforded the right to park illegally (in an emergency vehicle no standing zone - and apparently in the throes of an actual emergency, no less)? Sometimes it's hard to find a spot near my shul - but I wouldn't dream of parking illegally and then using religious observance as an excuse to get out of a 25-dollar parking ticket - whether it's a Jewish holiday or not.

But hey, that's just me.