The millions of tourists who annually visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island all go by boats run by Statue City Cruises, the only licensed operator by the National Park Service, and for years those tourists have been ambushed by illegal ticket hawkers trying to scam them.
This Editorial Board has long demanded a solution and in 2019 Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered that the NYPD and city Parks Department enforce the rules barring unlicensed vending in parks. That enforcement must resume.
The hawkers gather in Battery Park, notably at the No. 1 subway South Ferry station and the No. 4/5 stop at Bowling Green. These subway entrances are on parkland, where offering or selling tickets is forbidden. That also includes the sidewalks on the west side of State St. and the south side of Battery Place, as well as all of Peter Minuit Plaza, where the Staten Island Ferry terminal sits.
Two councilmen have a bill requiring licenses for ticket sellers. It’s not needed. People can sell tickets as they please, but they can’t sell on city parkland. Chase them out of the park and the problem is solved.
