Is this the modern definition of a vagabond cowboy? Street bookseller Charles Mysak has kept his Upper West Side parking spot in Manhattan since he first snagged it in the year 2000. He makes a living selling books from his car, feeding the meter with $36 a day in quarters. That may seem steep, but compared to storefront prices, it’s the steal of the century. Plus, he makes about $100 a day in books, so he comes out in the black, he says. “Barnes & Noble is now closed. I’m the last resource for books. I’m here from 7 to 7 every day,” he told the Post. However, his perma-parking is technically illegal, and he owes about $470 in parking tickets. “In the old days, you could tie your horse to this, and no one would get a ticket,” he said. “It’s an outrage so much time is being dedicated to taking money from taxpayers — they’re acting as predators. We are taxed, bullied and harassed.” If you want to support this urban renegade, and maybe pick up a few used novels, head on up to 68th st and Columbus to pay him a visit. Or, if you’re couch-bound in Brooklyn, check out this short documentary on the fellow by NYU student Alden Peters.
[via Laughing Squid]