Residents Raising a Stink over Garbage Piling Up
First a foot of snow, then plowed cars, and now frustrated New Yorkers are furious at mountains of trash piling up on city streets as collection was curtailed by January’s massive winter storm.
A journalist from New York Post observed the “unsavory views” of the aftermath and documented piles of trash bags and cardboard boxes littering the sidewalks as the Department of Sanitation was still catching up in several neighborhoods from the winter onslaught.
In another Job On Sunday, the report mentioned Mayor “Hizzoner” Zohran Mamdani:
Hizzoner’s Upper East Side neighbors are forced to trudge through streets infested with trash, wandering rodents and mounds of snow contaminated with dog pee a full week after Winter Storm Fern — while the sidewalks in front of the left-wing mayor’s digs on East 88th Street are squeaky clean.
Litter isn’t the only problem, as snow plows tend to deposit large amounts of white trash on cars parked along sidewalks.
Actor Michael Rapaport spoke out about the problem, posting a video on X Sunday morning showing a car stuck in dirty snow, saying, “This poor bastard won’t get out until spring.”
As for trash, one fed-up Upper East Side resident said there was a pile of trash near his high-rise buildings “taller than a car.”
“It’s very dirty,” Frederick Radie, 55, told the Jobsaying trash hasn’t been collected since the first snowfall last weekend. “We actually have people visiting us, and it’s a little embarrassing,” the 35-year-old resident said.
His partner, Mirys Rosa, criticized Mayor Mamdani for urging residents to be patient.
“It was about two weeks ago,” the 61-year-old said, calling the accumulation of trash “so disgusting it’s disgusting.”
City sanitation officials released an update Wednesday, saying on X:
A limited collection is underway. Our priority is to collect waste and compost, and you can place this waste at the curb according to your usual schedule. If possible, please keep your paper and metal/glass/plastic/cardboard recycling. Please understand that collection will be delayed during ongoing snow operations.
The Department of Sanitation said Job Saturday, they are currently operating with “minor delays.”
“We prioritize trash and composting (things that get gross), but New Yorkers can follow their regular schedule,” a spokesperson said. “We are operating hundreds of collection trucks every day in addition to ongoing snow removal operations. We are just asking for patience while we catch up.”
However, some residents did not understand this.
“It’s very concerning,” Chris Kendal, 38, told the Job. “They usually pick up the recycling on Monday, so it’s Saturday, so it’s been almost a week.”
He added: “I don’t know why they can’t pick it up. I mean, the buses are still running and the city is still running. So, I don’t know why they’re not able to reduce some of the trash on the streets.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the bestselling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the line and nine other mystery novels and non-fiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com to find out more.
