Have you ever been to one of those tourist spots where you can’t take a step without someone ruining your experience by trying to sell you something? The churro lady will be followed by a taco lady, and a person who makes jewelry from soda cans, and so forth. Authorities always struggle in the places where policy that serves all intersects with our desire to be compassionate towards an individual.
I think we should add a bear statue.
The bull was dumped on the city in a typical guerrilla artist fashion for placement and recognition. The artist is truly lucky the city didn't just make him take it back. The city should do anything it wants with it and stop catering to the disingenuous hysteria of this artist who has an overdeveloped sense of importance.
The bull's present location, at triangle formed by Broadway and State Street is the perfect location for the bull. It's just south of Wall Street, the stock exchange is practically around the corner, it sits in the financial district, and it is in an area that attracts many tourists and local. You've got a better place?
1
How much will this cost? Tens of thousands of $ probably. What a waste of money
4
I am not understanding the outrage about the brief arrest of the lady selling churros. She'd been issued 10 -- count 'em -- 10 summonses in the past. An unlicensed vendor of food to the public on a filthy subway platform poses an obvious health risk. If someone became ill, how would the Health Department track down the source? If you want to sell so much as a hot dog at your local block party, you have to pass a test and pay for a permit.
I realize that these ladies are just trying to make a living, but there's a reason we have regulations. The City has numerous programs that help people with small businesses.
I'm also sick of the fare beaters, many of whom think they're better than the rest of us schmoes. The City should be cracking down on them.
I'm usually pretty liberal, but the train to Wokeville has left the station without me.
28
@Lifelong Reader "
Regarding "The City should be cracking down on them." I feel there are much better uses of tax money than looking at the fare beaters. The City keeps measuring losses from farebeaters at full cost of the beaten fare - do we really think the people would all actually be paying the fare if it weren't easy to "jump" the turnstiles?
@Freddie
Whether easy or not to cheat the system -- I really wouldn't know -- it is against the law. The behavior robs the City of revenue that could be used for productive purposes. It also demoralizes the rest of us who pay our fare.
The fare is high, but it is reduced for students, people over 65, the disabled, and very low-income individuals.
9
@Lifelong Reader Plus, there are vendor laws.
4
The city literally released a plan within the past two months to turn the block of Broadway between Morris and Beaver Streets into a "Shared Street" in which pedestrians would have the right-of-way and cars could only travel through slowly - less than 10mph. This is exactly where the statue is now. It seems that maybe we should be less focused on cars, especially in FiDi and actually give people space.
For reference here is a link to a story with the city's own plan:
http://tribecatrib.com/content/city-put-pedestrians-first-shared-street-near-charging-bull
8
I'm sure de Blasio would like to replace it with a statue of Karl Marx.
10
Bruce Hall
Or of Warren Wilhelm.
2
@Bruce Hall
You’re wrong, Marx was an economist. You probably meant Stalin. De Blasio would like to replace it with a statue of himself.
5
As far as the Charging Bull is concerned -- no matter where they put that golden idol, the mindless masses will gather.
12
@N. Smith - yup, as I keep saying, put it near some businesses that could use the traffic so that the economy can benefit. (You know, these days, there are a lot more financial offices in midtown than 20 years ago. Maybe it's time to actually commission a second bull.)
1
New York Today says: "some city and state officials are questioning the policing strategy in the subways."
I don't know why people would question why the poliice would interfere when a person has been given 10 summonses telling her she is not allowed to sell food without a license and also she is not allowed to sell food in the subway.
Another problem in the subway, in my opinion, is people doing performances in subway cars, with or without speakers. It is already too noisy there. And especially upsetting is the acrobatics in subway cars that puts people at risk. In addition, people using loudspeakers and or performing and selling things on subway platforms, I believe, is also against the law.
18
The City Council seems to pass only laws that disadvantage those who slog to their jobs.
All their jobs, both high-paying and minimum-wage.
3
@lucky13
I submitted a comment about people illegally selling food in the subway and fare beaters. But I also agree about the unauthorized buskers, especially the ones with speakers and the subway car gymnasts.
It's time for the police to declare:
"It's SHOWTIME!"
12
The artist who installed it without notice or permission can take it back if he wants. I loved the little girl statue, for many reasons, not least of which was that the guy who made the bull was annoyed she was installed without his permission.
23
@PhillyExPat
I hate the little girl statue. That's not the symbol women need. Even in an attempt to valorize the struggle of females, the artist could not avoid falling into stereotype.
Look at the contrast: Men get an enormous charging bull, women get a plucky little girl.
11
Every time we remove cars from an area it’s a huge success. Limiting traffic here could be a solution. Financial district is too crowded for cars....especially single use ones.
16