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We kind of love NYC tourists. After all, they all congregate in midtown and leave our neighborhood alone. But their presence does create some inconveniences and, while we kindly welcome slow-moving families from Kansas with open arms, we can't help but agree with a Craigslist poster who believes that there could be some improvements to the city's tourist system:

My first cause of the New Year is the 2005 NEW YORK CITY VISITOR BEHAVIOR INITIATIVE. This initiative, in response to certain actions by the city that blatantly favor tourists over residents (proposed MTA fare hikes on one-month cards, used by comuters, to stabilize prices on one-day "fun passes" uses by tourists, for example), will present an additional revenue stream for the city by levying a system of fines upon visitors whose behavior physically or mentally affects the lives of people who live and work in New York. For example:

$500 fine per person for eating at a restaraunt that they could have eaten at at home (Olive Garden, Appelbee's, Wendy's, et cetera).

$500 fine for visiting the WTC site, $1000 fine per piece of merchandise purchased there.

All non-food merchandise sold within a 6-block radius of Times Square will bear a 30% sales tax.

Some of the funds raised by this program will be earmarked for educational initiatives, such as a mandatory 20-minute walking class given to all disembarking passengers who fail to show a NY State ID card at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark (if the state of New Jersey agrees) - covering proper pace and group arrangement on sidewalks, clearing doorways and subway turnstiles to let people through, et cetera.

We can't wait to get arrested at the upcoming rally for this.
MC With New York For New Yorkers? [Craigslist]