Will Elmo and friends be banned from Times Square?
I don’t mind costumed characters in Times Square New York City, but it looks like they’re getting a bad rap lately, thanks to some of them acting out against tourists who won’t pay for the privilege of their kid taking a picture with Cookie Monster, Elmo, Spiderman or Hello Kitty.
Recently, a man in a Cookie Monster costume in Times Square allegedly shoved a 2-year-old when his mom took too long to tip him. Yikes.
If you walk around Times Square, which encompasses several city blocks, you’re likely to count more than four dozen costumed characters along the way! That’s a lot, and perhaps too many. Since the Cookie Monster incident, authorities are now discussing whether or not to crack down on costumed characters in Times Square.
After 2011, the NYC cops didn’t fine costumed characters asking for tips– it’s not against the law. However, Councilman Peter Vallone of Queens is looking into redefining their work so it’s no longer protected as “free speech” by the First Amendment.
What do you think of costumed characters in Times Square New York City? Great for the tourists and kids? Annoying? Should they be banned? Leave your comments.
Related articles
- Lawmaker: NYC Costume Wearers Must Register Costumes (patterico.com)
- New York costume character hits back after criticism (telegraph.co.uk)
- Muppet Mafia? Inside the creepy world of Times Square costume characters (pix11.com)
- Cookie Monster lookalike arrested for allegedly shoving 2-year-old (kmov.com)
