“There’s a $20 fee to leave your apartment” (joke)

Entry in progress—B.P.
   
Audacity Oven
25 THINGS I’VE LEARNED SINCE MOVING TO NYC
March 8, 2013 · by Eric Baker
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4. There is a strange magic that evaporates anywhere from $20 to $40 from your wallet anytime you leave your apartment.
   
The Wall Street Journal
September 22, 2013, 8:33 p.m. ET
Why the Super Bowl Should Be Free
By Jason Gay
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You spend money here even when you’re trying not to spend money. The old joke was that there was a $20 fee in New York City just to leave your apartment. I believe that fee is now up to $40. If you do not leave your apartment, the city still sends you a bill for $35.