New York officials are clamping down on colorful Times Square performers Watch video
NEW YORK -- Following complaints the performers sometimes pose a nuisance, the New York City Council voted Thursday to allow greater regulation of the costumed characters who daily solicit tips from the throngs pouring through Times Square.
The council empowered the city's transportation department to regulate Times Square and other public plazas, The New York Times reported. City officials have proposed separate zones for commercial activity and for the buskers.
Since Secaucus resident Robert Burck rose to fame as "the Naked Cowboy," his tidy-whitey underwear and cowboy boots making him a must-see tourist attraction, more and more colorful characters have converged on Times Square seeking notoriety as well as cash from passerby.
While popular with some, others have been critical of the performers, including the so-called "desnudas," women clad in little more than body paint who take photos with tourists for money. Other performers dress as superheroes or other popular movie characters like "Elsa," of Frozen fame.
Those performers have also come in for criticism, including a Passaic resident who busks in a Spiderman costume and who restrained a 13-year-old boy after his father refused to give him a $10 tip. The performer, Jose Aguin, 29, pleaded guilty this week to a charge of disorderly conduct.
City councilman Corey Johnson told The Times the performers should be able to make "an honest buck" but that pedestrians "should be able to walk through Times Square without being harassed and harangued."
The new rules could take effect by summer.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.