New York City tourists posing for photos with Elmo and Cookie Monster in Times Square may be surprised at the recent sordid history of several who pose as characters there.
The Times Square Alliance met with New York officials Wednesday to discuss concerns over recent arrests and accusations of bad behavior by characters. Panhandling is legal in the city, and no current regulations of characters are in place.
But there is no shortage of evidence that the street performers are causing problems.
In June, a man dressed as Spider-Man was arrested for allegedly grabbing a woman's chest and backside. The arrest led officials to call for regulation of characters.
A man in Spider-Man costume poses for a photo.
It's not just Spider Man. A man dressed up as Woody from Toy Story to pose for tourist photos was charged with "forcible touching" in January.
A Cookie Monster was arrested last year for shoving a 2-year-old after his parents refused to pay him $2 for posing for a photo. Another man, who came to be known as "Evil Elmo" by fellow street performers, was arrested after going on an anti-Semitic tirade.
“The situation is out of control and a licensing and regulatory scheme must be put in place,†Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins said in June. Tompkins had also called for regulation after the Woody incident in January.
“We’ve had some conversations with the city administration, but we’ve got to speed it up,†Tompkins told CBS New York. “People are getting ripped off and worse.â€
City Councilman Andy King has drafted a bill that would regulate characters by introducing a licensing system which would introduce background checks of the street performers.
"I am particularly concerned adults are dressing up in kids' character costumes and pretty much harassing or even begging for money to take a picture," King said. Officials could run into a barrier if regulating the costumes is considered a violation of First Amendment rights.
Performers say they are trying to make a living. They average tips of about $50 a day, according to CBS New York.
"We're not bad," a person dressed as Minnie Mouse said.
Times Square Alliance leaders are not asking for an outright ban of costumed characters, but instead regulation. A tally by the alliance in June found 76 different costumed characters in Times Square.
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