Only in New York City will two beloved cartoon characters duke it out over change tossed by tourists. It was an epic show down between Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty, leaving both with cuts and bruises, with both being led away in cuffs, in what had to be the most hilarious moment NYPD experienced this year.
According to police at the scene, two women were arrested after fighting in Times Square — in their character costumes — over tips handed over by tourists on Thursday afternoon, reports the Daily Mail .
Minnie and Hello Kitty had posed with a tourist , who stingily handed over a single tip for the photo shoot. The women, who’s real names are Sandra Mocha and Giovanna Melendez, seemed to have worked together in the past.
Even though Hello Kitty was supposed to hold onto the tip, which would later be split, Minnie Mouse had no love for her feline friend, sparking a brawl that left Melendez with a cut to her upper lip, and Mocha with an abrasion on the side of her face, reports the Daily Mail .
This isn’t the first time two popular characters have taken to the concrete in a brawl over tips, and the problem has gotten so bad that city council persons have dubbed the characters the “Muppet Mafia,” and suggested the characters should be licensed to collect tourist tips. The proposition was shot down because of concerns that requiring a license would make an already low-paying job even tougher.
“This is another reason why we need regulations to address the growing problems in Times Square,” said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, alluding not just to the Hello Kitty versus Mini Mouse showdown , but also to an incident last year when two Iron Men, Elmo, and Spider Man were arrested for “aggressive panhandling.”
Woody from Toy Story was arrested for harassing and groping women, while Cookie Monster was tossed in the slammer for attacking a toddler. One costumed individual even assaulted a police officer.
“A dangerous character could be hiding in a cuddly character,” said Peter Vallone, a New York Council member.
“Most of us are just trying to make a living,” Edwin Garcia, who poses as Elmo, told The Huffington Post . It seems, however, that Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty take that living far too seriously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izuOB-zIVDk
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
