He was arrested for balloons: how a Russian-speaking New Yorker changed the rules of Central Park

In the 90s, balloons were banned in Central Park in New York City. Their sale was legalized at the cost of arrest and subsequent trial by the Russian-speaking resident of New York, Alexander Alkhovsky. The unusual story of an immigrant was told by the publication "Voice of America".

“I here somehow realized that a ball for a child is some very important part of childhood. I achieved my popularity due to the effectiveness of the fact that I inflate balloons very quickly. Well, probably, this is the development of hands, I play the guitar, ”says Alexander Alkhovsky.

It so happened to him that he is not a religious person. But, according to him, communication with children cleanses.

“Moreover, life in the United States is rather lonely and there were no permanent relationships. In any case, I determined for myself that I have my children, I feel good with them, ”says Alkhovsky.

One of the works on which Alexander worked is the curator of the gallery.

“It was very boring there, incredibly boring, all day sitting in that gallery, without a computer, then there was no Internet, you can shoot yourself. More suits, every day a new, new tie, this is all very tired. I changed into bright clothes and began to go to lunch, communicate with children, it was a block and a half to walk to the Central Park, ”says Alkhovsky.

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First, he dressed up as an ostrich, a puppet, then began to draw faces for children - butterflies and other similar ornaments. Then he began to make balls.

“Then I started to be late from these lunches, which is why I was kicked out. And that's it, then I could come every day with some new options for costumes for communicating with children. And without this, somehow it’s impossible, because you feel that your life means something, ”the narrator recalls.

As soon as they began to give money to Alexander for work, he began to understand that this could be a good business.

“Well, you certainly won't earn a thousand dollars, but you can get from $ 500 to $ 700. You can, of course, a thousand, but for this you need to be a little arrogant, and I think that this is not quite comme il faut, the ball is still a ball, "the hero of the story says.

In Central Park, Alexander did not know anyone who would make balls, it was somewhere in 1991. And there he was immediately told that "you have no right to be here."

“In my own way, I understood it so that if I don’t bring some chairs and tables, but do it while moving, I don’t shout, I do all this silently, so I somehow began to ignore it. Well, as a result, he began to receive fines. These fines are still quite large - $ 1, ”says Alkhovsky.

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Then the rangers approached him and said that "you are engaged in illegal sales here." He was offered to agree with their demands and leave.

“I said that I think the demands are unreasonable. I was handcuffed and taken to a prearranged police car. So I was arrested for the balls, ”the hero of the story recalled with a smile.

Immediately after his arrest, he told a federal court that the case had been prepared in advance.

“I won the case, I was apologized by both the police and the management of the park. I was given a special paper, where it was written, such and such is not required to have either a license or any permits, because such activity is protected by the first amendment of the US Constitution, the narrator emphasized. “It was as if I was born again in this country, I suddenly saw justice, I haven’t seen it for so long.”

Then he felt like the happiest person in the world.

“To be honest, I can be depressed about the fact that there is no career, no family, but on the other hand, I most likely managed to live my whole life, if possible, doing what I like. Literally the day before yesterday, I stood as always, a family drove up, there was a shy girl. She took this ball, runs with it, looks at it, hugs it, dances ... I already froze in the moment, in eternity, realizing how little a person needs, how much easier it is in childhood, ”summed up Alexander Alkhovsky.