Crime on the Left Coast

You've gotta be kidding me.

LOS ANGELES - The red and cuddly Sesame Street Muppet Elmo has learned a new lesson: ‘H’ is for handcuffs.

A man dressed as the character was one of three impersonators arrested last week for allegedly harassing tourists for tips after posing for photos on Hollywood Boulevard. Booked with him were people impersonating superhero Mr. Incredible and the dark-hooded character from the horror movie “Scream.”

The impersonators said they were taken into custody at gunpoint, handcuffed and paraded on the Hollywood Walk of Fame before stunned tourists and other impersonators. They were charged with misdemeanor “aggressive begging,” police said.

“With all of the crime in Los Angeles they pick on us?” said Elmo impersonator Donn Harper, 45, who makes up to $400 a day in tips.

When I was in Rome, there were a bunch of goofballs who dressed up as gladiators and legionaries and posed for pictures with people. I almost did it, but I was smart enough to ask what they wanted. Not surprisingly, they wanted money. I have no doubt that these knuckleheads that dressed up as Elmo, Mr. Incredible, and the Scream guy were in the same boat. What you probably had was a bunch of tourists who were too stupid to ask before they had their pictures taken, and once they had, they didn't want to pay up.

God forbid Los Angeles police could find something better to do than arresting folks like this. Yeah, they're knucklehead, low-life panhandlers, but they're at least doing something to earn it.

Basically, nobody's right in this situation if you ask me.