Broadway’s Latest Drama: “Rogue” Pedicabs Turn Up the Volume and the Chaos
Midtown’s theater district is battling a noisy new antagonist: unlicensed pedicabs that blast catchy New-York anthems while jockeying for tips outside stage doors. Actors, ushers, and frustrated locals say the bikes are drowning out dialogue, clogging sidewalks, and pushing theatergoers into busy streets.
“They park an hour before curtain call, crank up the speakers, and charge whatever they can,” said Kenneth Winter, a 22-year veteran driver and spokesperson for the New York Pedicab Alliance. “They’re like piranhas—out to make the biggest haul per ride.”
Although a valid pedicab license costs under $50 a year, it also requires liability insurance that can run thousands—one reason, Winter says, so many post-pandemic newcomers operate without a permit and demand sky-high fares.
Noise creeps inside the theaters
Belasco Theatre security guard Pete Tarr often hears “Empire State of Mind” echoing through the lobby mid-performance. “We’ll ask them to turn it down,” he said. “Most of the time we just get the finger back.”
Staff at other playhouses report the same headache. “They create a real problem,” a Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre guard noted.
City Council targets the din
Fed-up council members Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers have drafted a bill that would ban pedicabs from idling within 50 feet of any Broadway house, citing “excessive noise and routine harassment.” Bottcher insists the measure will “bring order to the chaos outside stage doors and let performers do their jobs.”
Drivers divided
John Aybaz, a 26-year-old driver from Turkey, concedes he pumps music to draw crowds—“but only after the show’s over,” he said. “It’s unfair to punish everyone for a few bad apples. If we can’t wait outside, we’ll lose business.”
Winter is also skeptical of a blanket ban. He favors strict action against unlicensed operators and wants seized bikes permanently impounded. “Moving them 50 feet down the block doesn’t solve fraud,” he argued, pointing to tourists hit with $300 to $400 bills for ten-minute spins.
Police step up enforcement
The NYPD calls pedicabs a “chronic quality-of-life issue.” Between Nov. 1, 2024 and Jan. 31, 2025, Midtown North and South precincts issued 965 summonses and seized 425 unauthorized cabs—though many are returned once ticket disputes are settled.
Neighborhood concerns grow
David Stuart, who leads a Hell’s Kitchen block association, says congestion forces pedestrians into traffic as shows let out. Times Square Alliance chief Tom Harris echoes the safety fears: “When theaters empty, streets jam. Pedicabs only add to it.”
Yet some theatergoers take the hubbub in stride. Actor Ezra Knight, currently in Othello at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, compares it to sirens and garbage trucks: “Just another New York soundtrack.” And Lion King attendee Melanie Trintin dismissed the proposed ban as “the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day. If you can’t handle the noise, move to the country.”
Whether the bill passes or not, one truth remains: on Broadway, even the drama spilling into the streets demands a spotlight.
For more information:
https://nypost.com/2025/06/02/us-news/music-blaring-pedicabs-are-interrupting-broadway-performances