“Get off the damn sidewalk! Beep, Beep! Go somewhere else!”
This is one of the many angry comments made by people of Chinatown on a daily basis about the lack of sidewalk space. The presence of sellers who sell counterfeit bags to tourists overcrowds the sidewalk and residents are fed up.
The sellers are usually women who wear fanny packs and loiter in front of areas where tourists tend to frequent. With an earpiece in one ear, the seller’s eyes shift from potential customers to the end of the block, making sure the police is nowhere in sight. If one gets close enough, one could hear them mumble names of several brands such as Gucci and Prada.
They have potentials customers meet them in an area without many police officers and give the latter a piece of papers with pictures of products they offer. Once the customers make their choice, the vendors contact the supplier to deliver the goods.
However, many residents of Chinatown start to find it a burden on their daily lives especially as the number of vendors and tourists grows. Some sellers harass people who simply walked pass them.
Ying, a former Chinatown inhabitant, commented, “My cousin told me that one day he would just gather a bunch of them [the sellers] and claim he is going to buy a lot of stuff…then call the police on them cause they block…the sidewalk.”
It seems a little harsh but illustrates the frustration among Chinatown residents.
Amy, a teenager, commented “I don’t mind the sellers…it is actually fun to watch them try to argue with the tourists about prices….but it does make it hard to walk.” She later added that the situation is caused by increased tourism in Chinatown. Some vendors even made alliances with tourist companies so the latter would bring tourists into certain areas of Chinatown that are known for counterfeit sales.
According to the American Bar Association, New York City Council Member Margaret Chin, who represents Manhattan District 1, is working to reduce the demand of counterfeit goods especially on Canal Street. The street is known internationally as the destination for purchasing counterfeit handbags and watches.
Chin introduced a bill that would provide stricter punishments for people involve in the the illegal sale of counterfeit goods. The bill, Title 18 United States Code Section 2320, punishes vendors with a fine up to $2,000,000 or 10 years of imprisonment.
Despite city crackdowns and City Councilwoman Margaret Chin’s effort to pass a bill, many people continue to break the law. In recent years, some residents notice that the initial business has moved away from Canal Street and has spread to other areas of Chinatown to avoid detection by the police. The new places include Elizabeth Street and Mulberry Street.
Police are even going undercover, using civilian vehicles to smoke out several operations in the aforementioned areas but this has only caused more disturbances.
On August 1st, police and vendors clashed on Mulberry Street. A street filled with both tourists and Chinatown residents as they watched an officer in a brown civilian car calling out to the group of vendors, causing the latter to drop their goods and break into a run. However, instead of chasing them, the officer stepped out of the car, picked up the goods and left.
These chaotic events are becoming more common in this area and civilians are tired of the continuous chaos.
“Sometimes, I just wish it was happening in some other place…you know?” said Henry, a teenager who lives in Chinatown.
