'Silly Problem': Hollywood Still Bans Silly String On Halloween

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Twenty years ago, Hollywood was facing a rather "silly problem" every year on Halloween when up to 100,000 people would flock to Hollywood Boulevard to paint the town red, or better yet — drown it in Silly String.

In 2004, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the colorful plasticine string would be prohibited on Halloween from that time forward.

The string reportedly caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to cars and property and even the famed corridor's Hollywood stars.

"For the past eight years, Hollywood Boulevard has struggled with what may seem like a "silly" problem," the department wrote in 2004.

To appease droves of angry property owners and those tasked with scraping prismatic polymerized plastic off public walkways and buildings — then Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn signed a council-backed city ordinance to ban Silly String in the city for the spooky holiday.

That ordinance remains in effect this year from 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 31 to noon on Nov. 1.

"On a typical Halloween night, up to 100,000 people come to Hollywood Boulevard in search of something to do," LAPD said. "Given the lack of a formal event, hundreds of illegal vendors flock to the street and sell Silly String which then becomes the sole source of entertainment for the night."

Employees from departments all over the city — including fire, police, sanitation, transportation and more personnel — were once tasked with the cleanup of the Silly String afterparty.

At its worst, damage costs racked up by the party favor exceeded $200,000 for the one night.

Here's what enforcement of that ordinance entails, according to LAPD:

• The LAPD works with the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Bureau of Street Services and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. to enforce the ban.
• Revelers, businesses and vendors possessing or selling Silly String on public or private property in Hollywood are given an option to "voluntarily discard" the string or face a maximum $1000 fine or potentially even six months in jail.