Nutcase Mayor Clamps Down On Dogs, Ice-Cream



NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg isn't content with killing the city's nightlife, or telling his former employees to get abortions. Now he's trying to legislate against two of the only faultless things on earth, dogs and ice-cream.

From the NY Post's Stephanie Gaskell :

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday proposed a giant "Shhhhhh!" for the city — slapping a legal limit on barking time for dogs and ordering Mister Softee ice-cream trucks to shut off their trademark jingle.

The mayor's sweeping anti-noise plan would be the first revision of the city's much-criticized noise code in 32 years.

In addition to banning all ice-cream truck drivers from playing their signature music beginning on Jan. 1, 2006, and permitting dogs to yelp only for five minutes during the day and 10 minutes at night, the measure would curtail the racket at construction sites and control decibels at rowdy bars and restaurants.

But it was Bloomberg's focus on ice-cream jingles and yappy dogs that drew the most attention.

James Conway, a vice president of Mister Softee, which operates about 250 ice-cream trucks across the city, said the proposed law "would seriously, seriously impact our business."

"There are a small percentage of operators who are not considerate — they play their song too loud and too long," he said. "On the other hand, there is a very vocal minority of residents who object to any kind of sound."

He added, "Somewhere in the middle is a compromise that all of us can live with."

The legislation would allow ice-cream trucks to use hand-rung bells until 2006.

Under the proposed legislation — which will be subject to public hearings and must be approved by the City Council — owners whose dogs bark for more than five minutes at night or 10 minutes during the day can be fined as much as $175.




(outraged CSTB mascot Jack, though not a New York resident, registers a silent protest in solidarity with suffering Gotham hounds)

"This is out of control," said Miriam Prussman, who was walking her golden retriever, Cody, in Manhattan. "What is he going to do? Restrict dogs from having vocal cords?"

The new noise code also would put restrictions on construction sites, such as requiring workers to cover jackhammers with blankets to muffle the noise.

If Bloomberg really gave a darn about noise, quality of life, etc. for New York residents, he'd take steps to have Christopher Russo shipped to San Francisco.

Posted: Tue - June 8, 2004 at 03:25 PM      

©