De Blasio To Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

[romantico]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 8:27pm

I can already hear the outrage!

"We are going to get rid of the horse carriages. Period," de Blasio said in response to a question at his press conference announcing his schools chancellor pick Monday. "It's over," he said. De Blasio said he would work with existing drivers to set them up with alternative vehicles to ferry tourists around Central Park. De Blasio and advocacy groups who support him say it's inhumane to make the horses work the dangerous city streets, but drivers insist their horses are well cared for and there's no reason to end the industry."

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/12/bill-de-blasio-on-horse-drawn-carriage-industry-its-over

Updated On: 12/30/13 at 08:27 PM

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 8:33pm

GOOD

[Marianne2]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 8:54pm

Glad about this too.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 8:57pm

THANK GOD. I can't stand to even see these poor horses at work. And today i was in the park, loaded with these carriages. THANK GOD!!!!

[Ex-Siny]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:00pm

If the carriages are banned, all those horses will end up at the glue factory I am sure they would rather keep working.

[tinysmagic]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:24pm

Next, get rid of of those ****ing bike Lanes and bike stands, and then get rid of those fugLy, annoying pLastic chairs in Times Sq and Herald Sq, and give back NY to NEW YORKERS.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:48pm

Ex-Siny, the horses currently working may be put down, and that is tragic. But there's a great deal of evidence that their lives are comparably tragic. I know they're considered picturesque and part of the NYC tourist experience, but so much I've read indicates that it's a horrible life the horses live.

Maybe better oversight and/or stricter laws (or enforcement) could be the answer. But failing that, I'd support the ban.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:51pm

Because it's too hard to deal with New York's real problems.

Horses have always drawn carriages and been used for transportation. It's a shame that de Blasio has to go against nature and bow to the wishes of a few tree huggers.

If he was really interested in animal rights, he would ban dogs from New York City apartments. Some of these people have dogs the size of cows stuffed into tiny one room apartments. That's the real animal cruelty.

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:53pm

Horses are not meant to be plodding along pulling tons of weight on city streets. sorry.

If those that are currently working need to be put down, then that will end their misery and pain.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:56pm

No, horses haven't always pulled carriages, any more than cocks, dogs, and bulls are naturally born to fight to the death.

There is a great deal of evidence that the horses are treated poorly. And there's no evidence that ending animal cruelty precludes helping and/or protecting any other creature.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:56pm

I agree about too-large dogs in too-small spaces. That goes for any animal, in fact.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:58pm

I didn't know that wild horses built carriages to hook themselves into. I'm so glad to learn their true history of them always dragging heavy things behind their backs. Did they shoe themselves in the wild, too, or is that just man improving on nature?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 9:58pm

"No, horses haven't always pulled carriages"

What do you think pulled carriages before the steam engine? Chinamen?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:01pm

Of course they have long done it. But it isn't part of their nature. Animals can be trained to do many things. But I doubt any horse that's never been hitched to a wagon pines at the loss.

And even if it were something they did naturally, I would argue they deserve humane treatment, which apparently many or most of these horses don't receive.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:06pm

This is a no brainer. It's not like you're shutting down a major industry.. It's a niche market in an environment that is not even ideal for that niche market. This should have been done years ago.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:06pm

Yes, I know it's a tradition and whatnot, but Goth can you honestly say any of those horses have a life worth living?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:14pm

"Yes, I know it's a tradition and whatnot, but Goth can you honestly say any of those horses have a life worth living?"

A couple of points:

1. de Blasio's first order of business is to ban something? We've had 12 years of Bloomberg banning things. The least he could do is announce something positive that all New Yorkers could use.

2. Banning horse drawn carriages cuts into the tourist trade. New York can't afford to mess with the tourist trade because it's one of the few things that brings revenue to the city.

3. As I've already mentioned, the much worse problem is people with dogs. They shove them in tiny crates and carry them on the subway. They let them poop all over the sidewalk. And they leave them all day long in hot apartments, unattended.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:16pm

1. I actually agree.

2. I really doubt anyone comes here primarily for a carriage ride.

3. So you'd be fine with his first order of business being to ban dogs in apartments?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:19pm

There is PLENTY for tourists here to do other than ride in horse-drawn carriages. If anything, the Guliani/Bloomberg era was much too tourist-obsessed. In a sense, this is a positive move.

Your third point is completely bizarre and incomprehensible.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:20pm

1a. Though I'm sure many New Yorkers will see this as a positive move.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:22pm

2. It is NOT a major component of the "tourist trade." That industry brings in only $15 million a year. Nice try.

3. This has nothing to do with the issue and should be viewed as a completely separate topic to discuss/debate. Big dogs in small apartments have no connection to the mistreatment of carriage horses.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:24pm

"Though I'm sure many New Yorkers will see this as a positive move."

No, it doesn't really fall on most New Yorkers radars. Things like Metrocards not working and the fact that it takes the MTA a zillion years to return a defective Metrocard are things de Blasio should be working on.

And by the way, Elaine Stritch loved those horses. Every time she walked by them, she would stop and pet them. If you can live through having Elaine Stritch in your face, you can live through anything.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:25pm

"2. It is NOT a major component of the "tourist trade." That industry brings in only $15 million a year. Nice try."

And who do you think is going to make up that 15 million in revenue? Hope you enjoy your taxes being raised.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:26pm

A very dear friend gave me front-row tickets to "Elaine Stritch at Liberty," and grateful though I was (for both the tickets and the chance to see this legend), I was terrified to look up through most of the show. If you catch my drift.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 12/30/13 at 10:27pm

You guys, it's better with the block feature.