Anyone passing through Times Square has surely seen the colorful, costumed characters that are roaming around, posing for pictures and taking tips from tourists. As much fun as they might be to look at, a bill passed by New York City Council on Thursday has declared some areas of Times Square off-limits to the costumed characters.
The reason? Well, there are just too many Elmos and Spider-Mans walking around, and some of them are just a tad too aggressive when asking for tips. In fact, the behavior of some of the characters in Times Square raised some concerns from the populace, prompting the city council to pass the bill.
Among the dozens, if not hundreds of Elmos, Spider-Mans, Jokers and Elsas setting up shop in the area, some have managed to rack up a pretty decent arrest record. Since January, at least 16 of the costumed characters were arrested for crimes ranging from aggressive soliciting and forcible touching to grand larceny and assault. Last year, 15 of the characters were arrested.
Apart from the aggressive soliciting and other offenses, a number of tourists have also raised concerns about the presence of topless painted women in the area, which, some believe, contradict Times Square's "family" atmosphere.
With the new bill in place, the characters would now be designated only to certain locations called "commercial areas." Other areas would be designated as "pedestrian zones," where only tourists and passersby would be allowed.
According to council members, segregating the areas in the plaza and would minimize the chaos that has become characteristic of Times Square. Councilman Dan Garodnick explained the rationale of the bill.
"People should be able to visit Times Square and experience the quirkiness and edginess that makes it unique without having to run in the other direction every time they see Spider-Man," he said.
Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins further emphasized the significance of the bill.
"It really is a compromise to recognize that there are people earnestly earning a living, but also that there's been some real problems that just like any other commercial activity you need to regulate it," he said.
The designated commercial zones for the costumes characters are set to be in place by early summer.
