18 images Created 6 Aug 2015
Heroes an Monsters of Times Square
Since Times Square has been transformed into a pedestrian area in 2011, the number of costumed characters that pose with tourists for tips had increased dramatically. Most of the people behind the masks of American icons such as Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, and Lady Liberty are immigrants from South America. Many of them worked up to 12 hours a day to support their families in the United States or in their home countries. After a violent confrontation between a man dressed as Spiderman and a police officer, followed by a string of other unpleasant incidents, the police started a clampdown in August 2014 by putting up signs that inform tourists that tipping costumed characters is optional. And since June 2016 costumed characters and street performers are now even restricted to special zones, lowering their incomes from tips significantly. This pictures were taken in 2014, when the monsters and superheroes were still allowed to roam free in New York City’s Times Square, but when the skies already started to darken over the performers.
