The following is from the NY Post:
The Occupy Wall Street movement has cost surrounding businesses $479,400 so far, store owners said.
A Post survey of a dozen restaurants, jewelry shops, beauty salons, a chain store and mom-and-pop establishments tallied almost a half-million dollars lost in the 53 days since the Zuccotti Park siege began on Sept. 17.
With clogged streets, aggressive signs and stories of predators and criminals lurking among the knot of protesters, business owners and managers say shoppers are not taking the risk of coming to the area.
It’s worst on Saturdays, when protesters parade up and down Broadway all day long, the businesses said.
“When they march on the sidewalk, everyone runs away,” said Mike Rauach, owner of VIP Men’s Suits on Broadway. “They kill business.”
Some businesses have suffered higher staffing costs. Stubborn occupiers, for example, often hold impromptu meetings inside coffee shop Pret a Manger, forcing workers to stay hours past closing time.
The movement costs the dozen businesses just over $9,000 a day.
That figure doesn’t include money spent on toilet paper, cleaning supplies and repairs, businesses said, as the tent dwellers turn bathrooms into personal washrooms.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
And many stores, shops, restaurants, etc. were not even surveyed! Many, not in the direct path of the gang(sters), have likewise been adversely affected r”l.
Just a thought: I wonder how many of these establishments are owned by either non-observant Jews, or by observant ones with some sort of mechirah in place “permitting” them to remain open on Shabbos? As Rav Chaim Kanievsky is quoted . . . HKB”H is making reconciling His accounts.
Such fine, good people!
Shuali, if they have a proper shtar mechira then HKBH has no account to reconcile.
Milhouse: You are right, however unfortunately, too often, these shtaros are drawn up without the help or advice of a competent Rav, often the “deals” are simply spoken out, or done without all the required kinyanim, aidim, etc. Whether pre-existing contracts preclude these arrangements also has to be considered. It was just a thought.