What’s New York City without knishes, the Brooklyn Bridge, and those horse-drawn carriages around Central Park?

Sex and the City/HBO

If you’ve always daydreamed about taking one of those romantic carriage rides, a la Carrie Bradshaw (she once compared herself to one of the horses because she said she could never be tamed), better hurry up. They may not be around much longer. At least with the horses.

New York’s new mayor just took office. He says one of his first orders of business will be to scrap the horses and run the carriages electronically. He says the beasts of all that tourist burden have been taken advantage of long enough, and it’s the only humane thing to do.

Call me a horse’s ass, but I happen to agree. Every time I see one of these carriages in New York, or New Orleans (they were all over the French Quarter when I was just there), or anywhere, I get a little upset. I try not to look the weary creatures in the face, but always do. I feel ashamed.

I felt the same way about the donkeys used for transport in Morocco. But at least they have an excuse there — the streets in the town I visited were too narrow for vehicles.

Horse-drawn carriages were a necessity before cars. Now, they’re strictly for human amusement. If the carriages can get around without horsepower, I say more power to the new mayor.

Here’s the story. What do you think?