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NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

businessinsider.com

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Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#61

Post by hombre_fatal »

giantg2 wrote: post #36
hombre_fatal wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, it's a reminder of how car-brained we are. You can fit a dumpster in the space that a single SUV takes up, but even in NYC that driver's convenience is more important than a basic amenity like waste management.

This assumes the only way to provide waste management is to replace parking with dumpsters.

No, it questions the trade-offs we're making.

The resistance to do anything but prioritize the convenience of a minority of drivers in cities like NYC while we look for "better" solutions (aka a solution that doesn't sacrifice their convenience) has already made a decision on the trade-offs.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#62

Post by dafsdsafdsaf »

"A female rat typically births six litters a year consisting of up to 12 rat pups, although 5-10 pups are more common. Rats reach sexual maturity after nine weeks, meaning that a population can swell from two rats to around 1,250 in one year, with the potential to grow exponentially."[1]

Unless you kill all of them at once and set up some sort of impossibly perfect rat detection system to kill the ones in every building and trash can, how is killing something like on the order of 10 female-year progeny even news? It's like putting a piece of masking tape over a water main break. You have to reduce their food, their ability to reproduce, etc.

https://www.rentokil.com/us/about/blog/all-industries/quickl...

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#63

Post by FFP999 »

gottorf wrote: post #48
FFP999 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real problem is that, for all that, it's still probably the best transit system in the USA. I live in Boston and I would trade the MBTA for the NYC MTA in a heartbeat. (Though to be fair, I would also trade the MBTA for a handful of shiny rocks, that being about equivalent in value.)

It really is crazy how bad the T is! I suppose the long tradition of MBTA management seats being used as patronage rewards has not helped.

I feel a little hopeful about the new GM though (Philip Eng, former head of the Long Island Railroad, for those just joining us). He's actually an engineering and operations guy, as opposed to the old GM Steve Poftak. Poftak's qualifications were an MBA and strict adherence to the Pioneer Foundation's party line.

At least the T put the final nail in Charlie Baker's further political ambitions. Hopefully he'll stay at the NCAA, we're just going to have to ask college sports fans to take one for the team (pun intended) there.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#64

Post by vasdae »

1over137 wrote: post #11
otoburb wrote: post #5

>> [...] a lot of people don't want to give up street parking spots for garbage containers. This is an understatement. A New Yorker with a car that doesn't/can't pay the monthly indoor garage fees will fight tooth and nail for street parking.

Which is crazy, because they live in the city with probably the best public transport in their country.

I live in Europe and public transportation is full of scum, I don't even want to imagine how it is in new york city.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#65

Post by hombre_fatal »

PennRobotics wrote: post #59
hombre_fatal wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, it's a reminder of how car-brained we are. You can fit a dumpster in the space that a single SUV takes up, but even in NYC that driver's convenience is more important than a basic amenity like waste management.

That's a $225,000 dumpster as of 2007: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/us/12parking.html

How does the price of private parking garages interact with curb-side parking and curb-side amenities?

Frankly I think the fact that a private parking garage space costs $225,000 should make us question further why we are content giving up such valuable public street space so that one person can park their vehicle.

If it costs $225,000 to park your vehicle for a year in a parking garage, imagine how insanely valuable the ground-level spaces are that we casually give up to a handful of vehicles so they can run in to Starbucks on Broadway. And presumably you're nodding along saying yes, that's the best use of that space.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#66

Post by eli »

PennRobotics wrote: post #59
hombre_fatal wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, it's a reminder of how car-brained we are. You can fit a dumpster in the space that a single SUV takes up, but even in NYC that driver's convenience is more important than a basic amenity like waste management.

That's a $225,000 dumpster as of 2007: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/us/12parking.html

Yeah a parking-spot sized space is valuable. And yet the city is pretty much giving them away to drivers.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#67

Post by otoburb »

cantSpellSober wrote: post #24
otoburb wrote: post #9

The original NYC "Director of Rodent Mitigation" Rat Czar job posting was hilarious, but completely serious. The municipal government took down the job posting once it was filled, but copies are still floating around for posterity[1]. [1] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11493659/Seeking-le...

The Daily Mail?! Surely we can do a little better https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63837306 https://www.npr.org/2023/04/14/1170120247/nyc-rat-czar-kathl...

As much as it pained me, the only news (sic) outlet that I could find displaying a full copy of the actual text of the job posting in its full glory was The Daily Mail.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#68

Post by FFP999 »

kibwen wrote: post #54
FFP999 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real problem is that, for all that, it's still probably the best transit system in the USA. I live in Boston and I would trade the MBTA for the NYC MTA in a heartbeat. (Though to be fair, I would also trade the MBTA for a handful of shiny rocks, that being about equivalent in value.)

And yet Boston's MBTA is still one of the top 5 best transit systems in the country, which is saying something. (Fun fact: Boston's red/orange/blue lines are also the most cost-efficient transit system in the US, as measured by farebox recovery ratio.)

The T's FRR is the highest in the country: all of 30% or so. So it doesn't come close to giving acceptable service _or_ paying for itself.

The basic problem with the T is that it's a state agency. By which I mean, it depends on the support of the entire Massachusetts legislature, and if you are a legislator representing a district in western Mass, funding the T is a hard sell. Your constituents are going to be worried about crime, drugs, and unemployment, not a transit system that they'd have to drive for an hour to reach. The best you can do is make a general appeal to the Boston metro area as the entire economic engine of the Commonwealth, making its smooth running a win for all taxpayers in Massachusetts. Which, even though it's true, is not going to go over well with the public.

I've thought of one possible solution, which is to dissolve the T, blacklist and/or jail its top management as appropriate, and turn transit operations over to a new agency that's funded and run by only Boston-area communities who actually can point to a direct benefit from T service.

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#69

Post by bugglebeetle »

Analemma_ wrote: post #3
lalaland1125 wrote: post #2

The real solution is quite simple: trash cans The reason why NYC has such a rat epidemic is because they literally throw their trash bags on the street. Which leads to some getting ripped open and leaving food for pests.

New Yorkers are so precious about this. I've heard pages and pages of excuses why trash containers can't possibly work in New York City, despite literally every other city in the developed world-- including all the others in the United States-- somehow managing to master this arcane technology.

We Americans love our Exceptionalism, what can I say!

Re: NYC's new rat-killing weapon is wildly successful – for now

#70

Post by notjustanymike »

code_runner wrote: post #53
notjustanymike wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trash cans aren't viable because of shortcomings in our infrastructure; we don't have alleyways. Large apartment buildings use dumpsters or basement trash rooms, but you can't exactly cart those out on to the sidewalk. Street side pickup is the only option barring rebuilding the city, and a garbage man isn't picking up an entire trash can. Having a truck pick up the garbage can would also encounter issues with space…

when walking through some neighborhoods (parts of park slope) i saw almost exclusively trash cans at every residence. At any rate, to say its impossible to implement trash cans just sounds nuts. I'm sure it truly is complicated, but not viable? I don't think so.

You walked through the most expensive neighborhood in all of Brooklyn, home to multi-million dollar brownstones and full floor condos. Try poking at some denser neighborhoods, the problems will become more evident.
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