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There are certain rites of passage every first-time visitor to New York must endure: an elbow in the subway, sticker shock over the price of juice and, last but never least, harassment from a beloved childhood character in Times Square. 

But that last part may soon be a thing of the past.

SEE ALSO:Spider-Man, Captain America, Naked Cowboy Arrested in Times Square

The New York City Council passed legislation on Thursday to restrict performers to designated areas of Times Square.

By allowing them to operate only in designated areas, city officials believe that they can better regulate and monitor the performers. 

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"In February, Batman allegedly grabbed $50 from the wallet of an Irish tourist and ran off into the dark night," Councilman Dan Garodnick told the New York Daily News. "Elmo was arrested for aggressive solicitation, Cookie Monster was nabbed for groping a teenager, and even Chewbacca and a Storm Trooper were brought in for aggressively demanding tips. 'Come to New York, duke it out with a superhero!' Is that what we really want to be known for?”

And tourists havenoticed:

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“The passage of this bill ensures that the pedestrian plazas not only in Times Square, but also throughout all five boroughs, will be vibrant and successful public spaces," President of the Times Square Alliance Tim Tompkins, who helped write the bill, said in a statement.

"By creating a better environment for those who work in the plazas and those who work in and visit the area, Times Square can continue to be the major economic engine it has always been."

But performers in the square have complained that the designated zones — each a bit larger than the size of a bus — will prohibit them from making a profit and infringe on their First Amendment rights.

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Nonetheless, the bill will likely go into effect this summer.

Since January, at least 16 Times Square performers have been charged with crimes ranging from assault to aggressive soliciting to forcible touching, according to Reuters.

For all of 2015, that number was 15.

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TopicsNew York City

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