first you say this:
Nope, he wrote the lady riding on the lap a ticket for being unsecured and very clearly informed me that I could have been cited for allowing her to ride there.
emphasis mine.
and then you say this.
I work in the service industry in Reno and we value our guests and do our best to create good will. It's good for business and allows guests as well as employees to enjoy the interactions.
seems to me he could have hit you harder, but chose not to.
seems somewhat ungrateful to me.
nobody likes getting caught doing what they shouldn't be doing in the first place.