New York City ain't no joke, man. If the air and water don't kill you the druggers, violence mobs and humanoid underground dwellers will. Even the most effeminate of children's characters are weaponized into aggressive panhandlers and con artists. Tickle me Elmo? Try, "Intimidate you with physical violence into making a 'donation' to the heroin fund Elmo." Since even the Death Wish vigilante isn't going to shoot junkies dressed up as Big Bird or whatever, it's up to "Pols" to spring into action and attempt to legislate away urban rot that's so virulent it even infected wussy kid stuff.
Though complaints about Times Square can fill an entire encyclopedia, at the latest Times Square Alliance’s Midtown conditions meeting, one issue took center stage: how to deal with Elmo, Hello Kitty and Spiderman, among other costumed characters.
I once visited the "Complaints on Time Square" Wikipedia page and it gave my computer about a hundred viruses, broke both my arms and stole the radio from my car. I don't recommend it.
When they came for the
break dancers I didn't say anything because I wasn't a break dancer. When they came for the untreated mentally ill drug abusers dressed up like cutesy Japanese nonsense I didn't say anything...etc.
Costumed characters that panhandle or offer pictures in exchange for money have proliferated in Times Square, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, adding to the usual commercial chaos of the famed town square.
"It's making it hard for me to sell pencils, crude window washing and miniature American flags to raise funds to buy tiny white rocks."
And while they may seem cuddly, elected officials said the characters are a serious problem.
Let's explode the myth of the "lovable meth addict," once and for all time.
This is a cancer on Times Square that has to be excised soon.
"You're a disease, Hello Kitty, and I'm the cure." *repeatedly fires combat shotgun*
“The panhandlers are exploiting the First Amendment, but I don’t think you have a First Amendment right to harass and threaten people as some of these characters have done.”
Can we just add an amendment to the Bill of Rights that very clearly states "None of these rights apply if you're wearing a muppet-themed costume." Yup, we're gonna start quartering soldiers in the house of the guy that dresses up as "Scooter."
The alliance’s director, Tim Tompkins, said they’re not all bad — but their presence, and the number of complaints, has grown in the last two years.
There's at least two or three who don't shoot up or menace people, so we're kind of in a tight spot.
“The problem is not with the folks that are out there making kids happy in an appropriate way, the problem is the folks that are both subtly and not so subtly intimidating and harassing people,” Mr. Tompkins said.
This is NYC pal, there aren't any "folks" here. Try dope-heads, mole people and walking, anthropomorphic evil. Whoever it was that taught politicians "people will trust you more if you use circa 1930 Alabama syntax" deserves the worst.
The companies that own the characters being depicted are also interested in addressing this issue, Mr. Tompkins added, and having a way to get troublemakers out of their character’s costumes. He called on the City Council to regulate them.
"I sold you a costume depicting our intellectual property and then sued you for wearing it!" Logic.
City Councils. We regulate any harassing of "folks" by depictions of animated characters. We're damn good too. But you can't be any geek off the streets. Gotta be handy with the illogical application of capitalism and our legal system, earn your keep.
“If you have a licensing scheme, then you have the ability to leave the people alone who are doing the right thing, but also go after the people that are not doing the right thing” he added.
We used to call this force "God." It's now more correctly identified as a "licensing scheme." It will make people do right and not do not right. Somehow.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer told reporters she was open to examining a slew of possible solutions.
"We got a whole heapin' helpin' of in-ter-esting solutions for the folks on God's Green Earth, not to mention our costumed brothers and sisters."
Put him in jail!
“Legally, what do we want to do? We want to regulate them? We want them to be licensed? How do we not infringe on the First Amendment?” she asked.
Obviously more red tape and bureaucracy is the answer, but how to do it?
“They accost people. I’ve seen it with my own eyes — they ask to take a picture, they ask for money, they chase people to the ATM sometimes for money. They are very aggressive and it doesn’t show a good picture of New York,” Ms. Brewer said.
If we're going to win that bid to have the entire city transformed into a prison colony we're going to have to improve that image a little.
“We’ve talked with our legal department about how we craft this legislation to allow you to express yourself, because I support freedom of speech and your right to freely act, speak and engage, but the minute you violate somebody else’s space then you have to be held accountable,” he said.
Or you could just actually enforce existing laws, whatever.
Mr. King seemed confident about the future of the bill. “I do expect huge support of the council members, I do,” he said.
Moments later he was torn to pieces and devoured by C.H.U.Ds.
Komment Korner
I'm not saying it's good or it's right, but it is caused by liberal and democrat policy.
The only cancer in new York are the Communists who run it.
You mean like how NYC has a real handle on licensing Taxis. AHHAHAH Character medallions?
Just like the stings to bust criminals that rob drunks on the trains.
