Politicians Want To 'Rein In The Annual Scourge Known As SantaCon' [View all]

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MIDTOWN — Stop the vomit!

That's the message from a coalition of Manhattan politicians who want this year's SantaCon bar crawl to commit to a safer, more respectful event.

State Sens. Brad Hoylman, Liz Krueger and Dan Squadron; Assemblymembers Richard Gottfried, Deborah Glick and Brian Kavanagh; and Councilmembers Dan Garodnick, Rosie Mendez and Margaret Chin said in a statement Tuesday that they are looking to "rein in the annual scourge known as SantaCon."

They also called on the annual costumed bar crawl to abide by three core principles during the Dec. 14 event: "make public and follow defined routes; ensure respectful participants; and implement a comprehensive safety plan."

In past years, the SantaCon route was not announced until the day before the event.

"During this massive pub crawl, thousands of participants dressed as Santa Claus overwhelm neighborhoods, violating numerous laws and regulations and creating major hazards in public safety along the way," the letter to SantaCon organizers said.

"SantaCon may be a short-term boon to a select group of local businesses, but it imparts many adverse impacts, such as vomiting in the streets, public urination, vandalism and littering."

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20131126/midtown/manhattan-pols-seek-rein-santacon-scourge