Times Square traffic pole sitter snarls traffic during morning rush

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - The ever-unpredictable New York City street theater scene added a new act Tuesday morning when a man climbed on top of a 20-foot high traffic light pole and snarled traffic even further in Times Square.

Raymond Velasquez, 34, of Brooklyn, could be seen standing atop the pole at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 44th Street waving to onlookers and then sitting down swinging his feet nonchalantly off the post, according to CBS station WCBS.

Velasquez appeared to argue with four police officers trying to negotiate with him from the ladder of a police emergency truck, while hundreds of onlookers packed the sidewalks to watch.

Police halted traffic and set up an inflatable cushion in case the climber jumped. After about an hour and-a-half, Velasquez came down on his own and was promptly placed in handcuffs, WCBS reported.

He was taken to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Police said they determined that Velasquez is an aspiring rapper who wanted to promote his CD.