Elmo, Spider-Man, and a slightly off-brand Minnie Mouse are reportedly united on this one
A coalition representing Times Square’s costumed street performers has formally demanded improved health coverage, citing a sharp rise in neck and back injuries linked to oversized foam heads and what one representative called “the occupational hazard of being aggressively hugged by tourists.”
The Demands
“Do you know how many times a day someone puts a child on my shoulders?” said a performer who identified himself only as “a Spider-Man, not the Spider-Man.” “My cervical spine has filed its own separate grievance.”
The coalition is also requesting a designated rest area away from tourists, a request one city official called “reasonable” but “logistically complicated,” given that the entire appeal of Times Square is, definitionally, tourists.
Management Response
City officials say they are “reviewing” the demands, though they noted the characters are technically independent performers and not municipal employees, a distinction the coalition called “convenient.”
The London Prat‘s labor desk has covered similarly overlooked British street performers, including a West End living statue seeking compensation for “involuntary flinching injuries.”
The New York Daily News reports the coalition plans a rally next month, weather and foam head visibility permitting.
The off-brand Minnie Mouse, when reached for comment, simply waved, in character, and pointed toward a tip jar.
What Happens Next
Negotiations are expected to continue, with both sides reportedly hoping for a resolution before the next major tourist season begins.
In the meantime, several performers have taken to icing their necks between shifts, a routine one Elmo described as “not glamorous, but neither is getting photographed forty times an hour by strangers.”
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SOURCE: https://bohiney.com