Sleepy backwater called New York City discovers the trash can

People are often shocked to learn that in many parts of New York City, the officially sanctioned way to put out trash for collection is to throw loose bags of garbage directly on the sidewalk, where they inevitably become fodder for rats and other vermin.

After a herculean scientific endeavor not seen since the Manhattan Project, New York seems to be moving forward with the revolutionary piece of new technology. They call it a "dumpster"

Quote:

New York City, where sidewalks have long been overrun by foul-smelling heaps of garbage bags that force passers-by to yield to oncoming rat traffic, is about to try a not-so-novel idea to solve the problem. The concept, known as trash containerization, seems simple enough: Get trash off the streets and into containers. The strategy has been used successfully in cities across Europe and Asia, like Barcelona and Singapore.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/03/n...nyc-adams.html

Not all are pleased though. Let me introduce you to the most ridiculous NIMBY on Earth (a fiercely contested title) who bemoans the loss of character that will come with not piling up loose garbage on the sidewalks:

Quote:

Residents of historic buildings on a tree-lined section of Upper Manhattan found a new feature in their neighborhood last week: large wheeled bins labeled "Trash." The sanitation department installed the shared dumpsters on residential streets in West Harlem as part of a pilot program inspired by operations in cities like Barcelona and Paris, where residents throw away trash in communal bins instead of leaving bags on sidewalks for collection. Officials say the goal is to reduce the city's exploding rat population by eliminating the rodents' access to food sources in household trash. Caroline Miller, who lives with her husband on West 149th Street, said the dumpsters were set up outside her first-floor apartment without community input. “I hate them so much. It is ridiculous. We got no notice, we got no say,” said Miller, a 36-year-old opera singer. “You pay a certain amount of rent for, like, a pretty, cute neighborhood feeling. Now it's like I'm living in the back alley of a school building.”

https://gothamist.com/news/west-harl...historic-block

The world waits with bated breath as New Yorkers bravely extend the limits of mankind's knowledge.

via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/hfVJa4i