{"id":7349,"date":"2026-08-25T04:12:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T04:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7349"},"modified":"2026-08-25T04:12:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T04:12:01","slug":"kids-as-young-as-11-among-the-illegal-vendors-swarming-brooklyn-bridge-they-are-everywhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7349","title":{"rendered":"Kids as young as 11 among the illegal vendors swarming Brooklyn Bridge: ‘They are everywhere’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Pint-sized peddlers as young as 11 are among the dozens of illegal vendors hawking goods on the Brooklyn Bridge \u2014 bumping even licensed military vets. <\/p>\n

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\u201cThey are everywhere,\u201d one stunned tourist told The Post.<\/p>\n

At least three dozen unlicensed vendors clogged the Big Apple span Monday to sell fruit, snacks, water, toys and other assorted goods \u2014 with many lugging their tiny children along or leaving their youngsters on their own to target passersby and tourists in the underground market.<\/p>\n

One boy, 11-year-old Sergio, said he makes anywhere from $100 to $300 every day, typically putting in eight hours four days a week, with his mom selling hats nearby. <\/p>\n

He said he emigrated from Ecuador with his family in 2021.<\/p>\n

Another boy, who said he\u2019s 12 years old, was selling fruit for $5 a pop. Asked where his mom was, he claimed she went to the bathroom \u2014 but the boy remained alone. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a bit awkward,\u201d Jennifer Thompson, a 53-year-old tourist from Virginia who bought two canvas bags for $10. \u201cI kinda wish it was an adult, but I don\u2019t know their circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was wondering where their parents are at,\u201d her husband, Larry Thompson, 52, chimed in.<\/p>\n

The illicit vendors \u2014 many of them immigrants \u2014 have been a nuisance on the historic bridge for years. By 2023, the span was jammed with so many peddlers that one frustrated local described it as a \u201cdisgusting, mile-long souvenir shop and flea market.\u201d <\/p>\n

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The vendors were booted in a sweep ordered by former Mayor Eric Adams in 2024.<\/p>\n

But the unsightly outdoor market returned, and has been left to prosper by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.<\/p>\n

The Post spotted at least 42 of the illegal vendors on the bridge on Sunday, with the merchandise mostly spread out on blankets. Nearby, folks of varying ages managed the sales.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Older children were left alone to oversee the transactions, while nearby adults sat next to kids as young as 4 or 5 years old.<\/p>\n

The unruly scene has irked local residents and legit vendors, including military veterans trying to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

Sammy, a vet and licensed ice cream vendor slinging the cold treat near the bridge, said the city rarely cracks down on the illegal peddlers, and when cops issue tickets, it\u2019s typically a fine of $50 or less \u2014 a fraction of the money they make.<\/p>\n

\u201cUs being disabled veterans and having a license means nothing over there now because if I go over there, they\u2019re going to kick me out,\u201d he griped. \u201cBut they\u2019re not kicking [the illegal vendors] out now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The illegal vending clogging the Brooklyn Bridge is a family affair — with children as young as 11 left alone to peddle goods to tourists. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nKids as young as 11 among the illegal vendors swarming Brooklyn Bridge: 'They are everywhere' - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=7349\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kids as young as 11 among the illegal vendors swarming Brooklyn Bridge: 'They are everywhere' - 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