These Are the Dumbest Fences in New York
New York University has erected a monument to American universities’ crackdown on speech.
On Tuesday morning, William Turton Blog approached a private security officer about fences surrounding the benches on a pedestrian walkway. The benches, placed between a playground and a $1.2 billion New York University building in Manhattan, were cordoned off as if there was nuclear waste emanating from the seats.
We were curious why we couldn’t sit there.
“Nobody is allowed to sit,” the security guard replied. “As for the reason why, I’m just doing what is asked of me. I’m sorry.”
The pedestrian walkway, which is one block long and connects West Houston St. and Bleecker St., is owned by New York University, though signs say it is open to the public. Fences have been erected on both sides of the walkway, and a private security guard stood at each end. Another guard stood in the middle, on top of an air vent, supposedly keeping an eye on anyone who walks through.
When we asked the security guard at the other end of the walkway why there are fences and security around a space that is ostensibly open to the public, he answered in one word: protests.
“They don’t want anybody going through here and doing a protest,” the security guard elaborated.
NYU did not respond to questions from William Turton Blog about the cost of the security or how long they plan to keep the fences up.
(Do you know about a dumb fence, or some other fake security apparatus forced upon us? Send a tip to William Turton Blog.)
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