A ban on the sale of souvenirs in one of the most popular cities in the world. Sellers are furious
Some of them have been selling their products here for over a dozen years. As a result of the city’s decision, they will remain destitute for the next few months.
New York’s bridges will soon be free of souvenir stalls and food stands. Mr. Rahman has been selling hot dogs on the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the city’s biggest attractions, for 15 years. Despite the permit issued years ago, like many others like him, he will soon lose his job. All because of the latest decision of the city authorities. The new regulation enters into force on Wednesday, January 3.
Sales prohibited on bridges
The new regulations are intended to make it possible to break urban congestion that makes movement difficult. The city bazaar will be removed from nearly eight hundred bridges in New York City. The landscape will resemble the one before the pandemic, during which for the first time many New Yorkers decided to sell plastic souvenirs after losing their jobs in gastronomy or tourism, turning New York’s bridges into the center of street trade. Mayor Eric Adams claims that the new regulations will make it safer to walk around crowded tourist attractions, which some of the bridges undoubtedly are. “The overwhelming number of New Yorkers want clean streets. They want an organized city,” Adams said. According to a CBS News report, some tourists interviewed also agree with the ban and previously complained about the lack of sufficient space to enjoy the views.
Sellers are furious
Not everyone started their trading adventure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, like Mr. Rahman, had worked on the Brooklyn Bridge for a dozen years. Unfortunately, its popularity among tourists caused even more local traders to come to this place, which had to end with a ban. “I have no idea where we go from here,” he said in an interview with a CBS News journalist. Many sellers admit that this decision will leave them destitute until they find another employment opportunity. Local entrepreneurs believe that New York’s sales law is too strict and unfriendly to business development.
