City Council Votes to Restrict Times Square Characters. What about the Boardwalk?
@Vin Torre
Yesterday the City Council voted 42-1 in favor of regulating costume characters who aggressivly ask for tips in the Times Square area.
According to the Daily News the bill will let the D.O.T. make rules that allow tip seeking solicitors to operate in certain areas of Times Square.
There was no mention of the Coney Island Boardwalk which like Times Square and under the juristiction of the Park Dept. has had it’s own share of costume characters to contend with.
According to Council Member Mark Treyger:
“The bill passed gives the DOT power to create regulations governing pedestrian plazas which is where the costume characters do business in Times Square. As for us in Coney Island, the Parks Department already has regulations in place that govern activity in public spaces like the Boardwalk. Our issue has been a lack of enforcement on the part of the Parks Department. We need more PEP officers to enforce Parks rules and to allow the NYPD to focus on more serious public safety issues than Batman and Robin on the Boardwalk. We did get a commitment to get more security this summer and we will monitor this issue very closely to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer for everyone visiting Coney Island.”
Some people believe that it’s the costumes character’s 1st ammendment right to express themselves in this manner. Other people like local community activist Vin Torre sees it in a different perspective. According to Torre who snapped a picture of a terrifying looking bear on Coney Island’s opening day “There are no rules against this here. They are a bunch of illegals harassing people.”
The Coney Island Blog wants to know what you think.
Is it their 1st ammendment right to walk along the boardwalk asking for money or are they a nuisance that should be banned from the boardwalk all together?
Vote here:
I personally like the characters in Coney Island. Makes it feel more like Times Square by the Sea! More important things to think about, like more year round development and bringing Coney back to prominence.