MAYHEM IN MIDTOWN: Mayoral Candidate’s Chai Scavenger Hunt Brings City to a Standstill

NEW YORK, NY — Midtown descended into chaos yesterday after mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani turned Manhattan into his personal playground, launching a citywide scavenger hunt that left buses frozen, cabs trapped, and commuters fuming.

The prize? A cup of free chai.

“I been waitin’ 25 minutes for the M5, and instead I get a crowd of hipsters waving flyers like it’s Coachella,” said one angry commuter.

Flyers reading “Find Zohran, Win Chai, Save the City” were plastered on lampposts, subway entrances, and even taped to hot dog carts. By 2 p.m., streets were gridlocked as hundreds of New Yorkers stormed intersections, chanting riddles and blocking traffic.

One elderly woman with a walker had to be escorted by NYPD after being swept into the mob. Officers say at least two near-brawls broke out over “chai tokens” being handed out near Bryant Park.

Campaign staff defended the stunt as “interactive democracy.” Critics called it “reckless theater” that endangered lives and wasted police resources.

“We can’t get buses to show up on time, but we got cops babysitting scavenger hunters for chai?” fumed Denise Alvarez of Queens. “This city’s finished.”

Witnesses say Mamdani eventually appeared on a traffic island near Herald Square, sipping from a paper cup stamped “Vote or Sip Trying” while posing for selfies.

As of press time, the campaign promised more “activations,” including an all-night hide-and-seek game on Roosevelt Island, with the grand prize rumored to be “an express bus that actually arrives.”