Liam Neeson says Mayor de Blasio is looking a gift horse in the mouth with his plan to ban equine carriages from the city’s streets.
The Oscar-nominated actor on Sunday called the popular Midtown tourist rides “a connection with our past” and a vital part of the city’s economy.
“I’ve been walking in the streets of Central Park for a few hours, five days a week, for 20 years,” Neeson said.
“I know some of the drivers, and I’ve seen the joy these tourists get. We can’t put a dollar amount on what that does for the tourist industry.”
The “Schindler’s List” star told about 100 carriage drivers and Teamsters Union members at the Clinton Park Stables on Manhattan’s West Side that their horses were “well cared for” and shouldn’t be replaced with electrified antique autos, as de Blasio has proposed.
“This is an industry that’s been here since before Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration,” said Neeson, an outspoken supporter of the controversial business.
“It’s a connection with our past. It’s a connection with our history.”
Neeson also said he was “disappointed” that de Blasio didn’t join him and several council members for a tour of the stables on West 52nd Street.
“He should have manned up and come.”
He also said, “I’m looking forward to meeting him to discuss the issue.”
Earlier in the day, de Blasio said he planned to visit the stables as soon as his schedule allowed, “because we want to work with the folks who operate the horse carriages and get them new opportunities in other related work.”
“I just want to be clear that my decision on the issue — it’s something I’ve thought about for a long time,” de Blasio said.
“I used to be someone who thought that carriages were part of life in New York City, and I traveled my own journey coming in to the view that it didn’t make sense anymore.”
“And I saw that other cities around the world have banned the horse carriages, so I’m firm about the fact we have to make this move,” he added.
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, de Blasio said he plans to meet with Neeson.
“I am a Liam Neeson fan. I am,” the mayor said. “Horses in the streets of the city today don’t make sense. They’ve been banned in cities all over the world. We’re going to fix it. But I will spend time with Liam Neeson. He’s a great actor.”