It might sound simple and like a whole lot of fun to stand around in a costume all day and take pictures for tips, but dealing with drunk and/ or unruly people is a special kind of nightmare. Just ask the dude who plays Spider-Man in Times Square. He allegedly got his butt grabbed by some madman, and when he fought back, he was promptly taken to human jail.
According to The New York Post, the situation happened a little before 10:30 PM at 44th and Broadway. Abdel Elkahezai, who plays Spider-Man, was hanging out with Jose Escalona-Martinez, who plays Batman, when they were allegedly approached by a third man, 23-year-old Thomas Rorke. He allegedly snuck up behind Batman, held him down and thrusted at him while screaming, “I’m gonna fuck you, Batman.”
Of course this didn’t sit too well with Spider-man who immediately lept into action. He confronted Rorke, and after getting his butt grabbed, he allegedly fired his web-like Silly String at the harasser, prompting both men to start throwing punches. Eventually, the police arrived on the sign and decided to take all three men to jail, charging all involved with assault. Sadly, no footage of the brawl has gone public.
There’s really no reason to give the costumed performers a hard time at touristy places. If you don’t want to give them any money, just don’t stop and take a picture. A momentary laugh might seem like a good time, but all that does is make everyone else in the immediate area realize what a prick you are.
Here’s to hoping Spider-Man and Batman continue their epic friendship and perhaps more importantly, appear in the same movie someday. Hey, we can dream, right?
