That Was 40 Pounds Of Filet In My Fridge, Honestly

Mayor Bloomberg announced that Con Ed will reimburse customers for lost food and medicine without proof of receipts:

People who lost food or medicine because of the Queens blackout will be able to submit compensation claims of up to $350 without having to provide receipts or other itemization, Mayor Bloomberg said Wednesday, the day the last of the tens of thousands of affected residents and businesses had their electricity restored.

At a news conference in Queens, Bloomberg said Consolidated Edison would also be waiving a requirement that people fill out a specific form, and would instead accept written letters sent from a legimately affected address. Small businesses may apply for up to $7,000 in compensation, but will have to submit documentation.

When asked if there were concerns about possible fraudulent claims, Bloomberg said, “I would hope if people didn’t suffer a monetary loss they would not try to scam the system. New Yorkers are fundamentally honest.” At the height of the blackout, which lasted for 10 days, about 100,000 people went without lights, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Randy Cohen aside, how many customers — especially ones without power for ten days — do you think will hesitate to collect the full amount? And do you blame them?