The promoters of New York City’s best-known intersection and tourist meeting point, Times Square, have declared war on fancy-dress gropers – people disguised in costume who accost or molest passing tourists.
The Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992 to improve and promote New York City’s renowned “crossroads of the world”, has had enough of creeps in costume.
Earlier this week, a 54-year-old man loping around Times Square dressed as Elmo from the Muppets was arrested on charges of groping a 14-year-old girl after she refused to take a picture with him.
It’s the latest in a series of arrests spanning back over the years. Among them: a street performer dressed as Super Mario was arrested for groping a woman, and a character dressed as Spiderman, was arrested for fighting over a $1 tip.
The Times Square Alliance, a member of US Travel, says although costumed characters add atmosphere to Times Square, they are getting too aggressive. It wants New York City Council to pass new laws to keep the characters in check.
“Quirky is fine. Creepy is not,” Times Square Alliance president, Tim Tompkins, declared.
A recent report commissioned by the Alliance found that 47% of New Yorkers reported having an “unpleasant interaction” with a costumed character in Times Square over the past year. Even worse, 22% of city residents and 15% of tourists said the experience had included “unwanted physical contact”.
Go Topless Day, an annual event in New York City, was held three weeks ago. Female performers in Times Square, often painted in vivid colours, frequently go topless in the name of art.
Allegations of molestation by costumed characters is not confined to Times Square. Some years ago, Disney settled a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed Donald Duck had made a sexual advance towards her at Disney’s Epcot theme park in Florida.
The 27-year-old Pennsylvania woman said Donald Duck – or, more precisely, a Walt Disney World staff member dressed as Donald Duck – groped her and grabbed her breast. The duck then tried to make a joke of its action, the woman alleged.
The complainant said the encounter with Donald Duck had left her with nightmares, digestive problems and permanent injuries.
The matter was eventually settled out of court.
NYC costumed Elmo checks his emails – Photo Credit- Ed Yourdon
