Bloomberg: You're "Sick" If You Complain About Tourists

Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg finally weighed in on "the talk of the Internet"—the line chalked onto a Fifth Avenue sidewalk that tries to keep tourists out of the way of busy, important New Yorkers as they go about their big shot, world-turning business. The mayor's sunshine-and-daffodils spin on the tourist lane would have made Pollyanna roll her eyes:

It certainly says something about our feeling for tourists. They’re willing to give up some space to the people that come here and support our industries. ... This is why you have a job and I have a job is because (of) tourists that come here and I thought it was very cute. I don’t think you’re going to keep people in those lanes but the more tourists that come here... When I saw it I said, "Oh, that’s a nice thing to do." But you can’t do that every place for tourists and we’re not about to go to say to tourists, "Well, we’re going to clear off some streets just for you."

According to the Daily News, WCBS-AM's Rich Lamb tried to get Hizzoner to acknowledge the obvious: that the dividing line represents an abiding frustration with waddling tourists getting underfoot. But if you are one of those New Yorkers who walks around with a cattle prod zapping any slow-walker with a fanny-pack, the mayor wants you to know that you're basically a disgrace.

"I'd be happy to introduce you to a lot of people who feed their families based on tourists, and if you want to talk to them I think you’ll find exactly the reverse," Bloomberg told Lamb. "I don’t remember hearing anybody really complain about tourists. They complain about noise on the tourist buses. We’ve done something about that. But you’ve got to be a pretty sick person to take it that way, I think."

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By John Del Signore in News on May 21, 2010 9:10 AM

Comments [rss]

S.K.

On one hand, Hizzoner supports the tourism industry. On the other hand, he signed off on the bill requiring tour buses to silence their microphones. Which one is it, Mike?

snickerdoodle

STFU Bloomberg you flaming closeted bundle of sticks. You've got to be an even sicker person to take random internet talk so goddamn seriously.

dgeee

Bloomy the man c*nt.

napalm

Bloomberg using the word "sick"? Fisrt of all, he is the sickest man we ever had to deal with as a mayor.

A couple of years ago, there were complaints about schools in the city that had no air conditioning in the blazing summer and there were cases in which plenty of students (CHILDREN) were being rushed to the ER due to heat complications, and his answer to that basically was, 'too bad'. So no, DOOSHBERG!, you and the robots that actually buy into your bullshit are the sick fucks. He spitefully continues to go against the will of the people and children of NYC.

While all of you media-brainwashed sponge robots keep eating bloomberg's ass and feeding into his fucked up I hate NYers policies.

You piss-heads keep saying tourists are paying our way, really? well explain that to the people who have to die in fires because BLOOMBERG is closing firehouses, explain that to the parents and children who will lose their transportation fare to get their education, explain that to the teachers who are being laid off, explain it to all who are unemployed because BLOOMBERG loves tourists sooooo much that he is laying off firefighters and teachers ect ect, so the countless millions can go to pedestrian plazas.. I work for my money and never has a tourist put a cent in "my" pockets, or any other NYer's pockets.. Dumb fucks!

You robots say Obama hates NYCers? No, Bloomberg hates NYCers. Obama's hates the Bloomberg type, greedy selfish prick (Bloomberg), who is the only one who seems to be geting richer because of tourism

NannyState

"But other than that, how'm I doin'?"

Neverhaditsogood

New Yorkers tend to put up with tourists just as well as other city's people do. Bloomberg's a jerk, a tourist in his own right, for saying otherwise. How about becoming a New Yorker Mr. mayor? You know, like WORK for a living, like the rest of us.

Gothampc

"This is why you have a job and I have a job"

No, you have a job because the citizens of NYC are too complacent to rise up and tell you that a third term as dictator is against the law.

newport27

bloomberg you POS there is no one sicker than you. no one that has manipulated policies and regulations to steal so much from the city. your wealth grew from a couple billion to 16 billion during your enforced terms in NY while small businesses and middle class families were destroyed and driven out of NYC. everything in NYC under your term is manipulated to steal and steal more money from the people. go F yourself scumbag thief

Potty Boy

Oh no, he did not just dress like that.

Sommelier

Next he'll tell us to stop complaining about the subways, the Mets, the prices at the corner bodega... It's our way of coping, Mr. Mayor. We gripe, bitch, complain, kvetch. It's our version of jumping in a private jet and heading off to our villa in Bermuda for the weekend, capiche?

Philipecan Tuilin

Michael Bloomberg is the greatest Mayor this city has ever seen.

Mordicai

Commissioner Gordon deserves more credit.

etypical

No one is better than Dinkins. Now that guy was a winner.

Dead Himmler

Sarcasm WIN!!

Kojak

Greater than Fiorello La Guardia? No way

Wza

Both NYer's and tourists are annoying in their own ways.

I don't hate tourists, I just want them to be aware.

Angelheaded Hipster

its firday

he's in the bahamas or on his private jet heading there

seeya monday

HBHB

Hey Bloomy, you ARE a fucking tourist with your bullshit accent that never seems to be consistent. Stay on your side of the line or go back to Massachusetts!

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

That is the problem, Bloomberg makes Tourism, NYC's main industry.

nikkib

Obviously Mr. Bloomberg has no clue what it's like to have to WALK to work from the SUBWAY station EVERY DAY and deal with sidewalks full of tourists who stand in the middle of foot traffic without regard to anyone but themselves. When the mayor DOES actually WALK on a sidewalk, he's accompanied by bodyguards and an entourage. I'm sorry, Mr. Bloomberg, but you have no idea what it's like to be an every day New Yorker.