- Title: Bad memories are shredded in Times Square ahead of NYE
- Date: 28th December 2016
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 28, 2016) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** TILT DOWN TO SHRED-IT MACHINE IN TIMES SQUARE VARIOUS OF MESSAGES WRITTEN ON GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER TAPED TO TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARLENE ROBERTS, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR AND WINNER OF THE 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY CONTEST, SAYING: "Two years later, you know, it was supposed to not make me feel insecure while going through everything. I was still feeling a little you know gun shy, wearing it, if somebody looking at my hair, you know, are they seeing this. And I started getting more and more, you know like maybe I could go natural. I know my husband would have wished I went natural maybe two years ago but it had to be when I was ready and so, this was like the last connection to my cancer." VARIOUS OF ARLENE ROBERTS, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR AND WINNER OF THE 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY CONTEST, THROWING WIG INTO SHREDDER BIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIM TOMPKINS, PRESIDENT OF THE TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE, SAYING: "Good riddance to tiny thumbs on Twitter. Good riddance to tiny thumbs on Twitter. It's time to get a little bit more substantive in 2017 so I'm going to drop it in the thing now." VARIOUS OF TIM TOMPKINS, PRESIDENT OF THE TIMES SQUARE ALLIANCE, DROPPING HIS GOOD RIDDANCE DAY MESSAGE INTO BIN VARIOUS OF DAISY FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK SMASHING ITEMS IN PLASTIC BAGS VARIOUS OF DAISY DROPPING HER JUNK AND CLUTTER MESSAGE INTO BIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUE FROM CANADA, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "I'm saying goodbye to the 2016 presidential election, I've never seen anything like it in my life having come from Canada and I have to say goodbye and hope to turn the page for next year." VARIOUS OF SUE DROPPING MESSAGE INTO BIN VARIOUS OF WORKER TAKING BIN FROM SHREDDER TRUCK AFTER IT'S EMPTIED VARIOUS OF PAPER BEING DUMPED INTO SHREDDER BIN MESSAGE READING (English): "HODGKINS LYMPHOMA" ON GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER TO MAN DROPPING MESSAGES INTO BIN WORKERS AT SIGN-IN TABLE WITH GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER MAN WRITING MESSAGE ON GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER PAN OF LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO PARTICIPATE IN GOOD RIDDANCE DAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANA BALAN, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "Trump." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPORTER ASKING: "Why?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANA BALAN, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "You're asking me this as a woman, why do you think?" CLOSE UP OF PHOTO OF U.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP WITH MESSAGE READING (English): "I WANT TO SAY GOOD RIDDANCE TO: TINY THUMBS ON TWITTER" ON GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANA BALAN, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "I'm hoping for a different president and for Brexit not to happen. One can dream, no?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAYMOND SMITH, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "Donald Trump, give the man a chance. Everybody else had a chance. Don't be a stereotype putting this man down and doing all that stuff. Because you know what? It doesn't make no sense. It's going to be what it's going to be. It is what it is. Just hope for the best." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICK LANIER, 2016 GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PARTICIPANT, SAYING: "We're going to shred all the negative vibes from 2016 and hopefully we'll have a better, more united 2017." PAN OF LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO PARTICIPATE IN GOOD RIDDANCE DAY VARIOUS OF MESSAGES WRITTEN ON GOOD RIDDANCE DAY PAPER TAPED TO TRUCK TILT DOWN FROM DUMPSTER READING (English): "GOOD RIDDANCE DAY, SHRED-IT AND FORGET IT" TO MAT READING (English): "SHRED-IT" VARIOUS OF WORKER EMPTYING BIN INTO SHREDDER TRUCK WIDE OF SHRED-IT TRUCK
- Embargoed: 12th January 2017 19:17
- Keywords: Times Square New Year good riddance day shredder good riddance bad memories
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Human Interest/Brights/Odd News,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ESSPJT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: New Yorkers and tourists lined up in Times Square on Wednesday (December 28) to ring in the new year early by throwing away bad memories for the 10th annual "Good Riddance Day."
The event aims to get rid of all the negativity from 2016 in order to make room for all the possibilities and positivity that 2017 has in store.
"It's time to get a little bit more substantive in 2017," said Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, holding up a message reading, "I want to say Good Riddance to: Tiny Thumbs on Twitter" with a photo of President-elect Donald Trump.
Participants wrote their bad memory on a piece of paper and along with photographs, bills and other items of discontent, tossed them into a large garbage bin. A giant shredder was then used to decimate the paper and the memory into little bits.
"I'm saying goodbye to the 2016 presidential election, I've never seen anything like it in my life and I have to say goodbye and hope to turn the page for next year," said Sue from Canada.
"We're going to shred all the negative vibes from 2016 and hopefully we'll have a better, more united 2017," said Nick Lanier.
Good Riddance Day is inspired by a Latin American tradition in which New Year's revelers stuffed dolls with objects representing bad memories before setting them on fire, according to organizers. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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