With the high profile arrest of an unruly Spider-Man in July and other well publicized instances of bad behavior by mascots in Times Square as of recent, the NYPD is cracking down on the fuzzy hustlers and they’re starting to feel the pain. According to the AP, the police effort is starting to take a toll on the amount of money the costumed characters typically earn in a day. And they’re not too happy about it. This past weekend, cops started handing out warnings to tourists, explaining that “tipping is optional,” which is true. So is taking photos with the mascots in the first place. (Image: AP)
