It’s not unusual to see two or three folks with pythons stationed alongside Broadway Street — the busy downtown thoroughfare filled with honky-tonks and vacationer traps. Those snake wielding entrepreneurs have been at all times prepared to let guests put on a snake to take what’s often a blurry picture.
Aside from any considerations about pythons wrapped round inebriated vacationers’ necks, the extra frequent problem is that the snake purveyors have been pushy and demanded gratuities from unsuspecting vacationers, stated the invoice’s sponsor, Councilman Jacob Kupin. It’s not the status Nashville seeks — even in its debauchery district.
“We want to make sure it’s a place that is very safe and comfortable,” Kupin instructed The Washington Post. “People are drunk, they’re letting their guards down.”
Kupin, who was elected in August to symbolize the district that features downtown, realized this was an issue after beginning to walk Broadway on Friday and Saturday nights with town’s head of nightlife. Kupin stated he was shocked to see folks simply draping pythons on of us for money.
He requested police the right way to stop this, and so they stated there was no regulation in opposition to it as a result of folks have been merely asking for suggestions and never formally promoting something.
A loophole like that could be a small however unsettling factor for a metropolis that has boomed right into a vacation spot for bachelor and bachelorette events whereas struggling to supply sufficient housing inventory. The space isn’t only a party-haven, and lawmakers wish to be sure longtime residents — and new ones — really feel protected.
“We need to ensure we nip these things in the bud before we grow,” stated fellow councilman Jordan Huffman.
Huffman joined as a co-sponsor to the invoice after listening to a couple of wrenching reptile expertise from a constituent.
Huffman stated his constituent was entertaining out-of-towners who needed to go to Broadway when a snake vendor requested the native if she needed to put on the snake. She stated “no.” But the snake handler put the reptile round her neck anyway.
“My constituent didn’t exactly react well,” Huffman stated, including: “She shrieked and tried to do a little shimmy move and eventually got away … The snake was starting tighten up a little bit.”
Nashville leaders wish to cater to vacationers whereas remaining a livable Southern metropolis.
Both councilmen stated it’s difficult to stability resident considerations with out-of-town crowds prepared to Venmo $100 to a cowboy-hatted cowl band in order that they’ll play “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Many metropolis officers throughout the nation would fortunately roll out the purple carpet for partyers to fatten the gross sales tax coffers.
“We will always be a city that is heavily reliant on tourism, and that’s totally fine,” Huffman stated. “Our residents are totally welcome to our visitors.”
Kupin stated it’s potential to maintain the frenetic power of Broadway whereas additionally guaranteeing everyone seems to be protected. But he stated the stability will probably be a problem as town strikes from the adolescent stage of leisure into maturity.
Broadway is a rarity — the South has few comparably dense and walkable leisure districts. But, Kupin stated, Nashville must reckon with whether or not it needs to host a Bourbon Street like New Orleans or a Beale Street like Memphis.
Huffman stated town continues to be very a lot figuring itself out, however no less than folks don’t have to fret about sidewalk snake hustlers.
“Now you’ll sleep well at night knowing you won’t have a snake placed on you,” Huffman stated.
