New York subway acrobats put police in a spin
Crackdown on performers ordered, but passengers don't seem to mind
The underground acrobats who flip, somersault and pole-dance among New York subway riders as trains roll are drawing a new audience - police officers.
The New York Police Department is cracking down on the subway showmen who use the tight quarters of the nation's busiest transit system as moving stages for impromptu - and illegal - pass-the-hat performances.
More than 240 have been arrested for offences related to acrobatics so far this year, compared with fewer than 40 at this time a year ago.
Police Commissioner William Bratton acknowledges he is targeting subway acrobats as part of his embrace of the "broken windows" theory of policing - that low-grade lawlessness can cultivate a greater sense of disorder and embolden more dangerous offenders.
"Is it a significant crime? Certainly not," Bratton said. But he said it begged the question: "Does it have the potential both for creating a level of fear as well as a level of risk that you want to deal with?"
We just try to go inside the train and change the vibe
The subway acrobats say they are just out to entertain, make a living and put a little communal levity into New York's no-eye-contact commuting.