Have you ever taken the subway and seen a rat run past your feet? Like many, I have, and some stations are worse than others. Take a visit to 149th – Grand Concourse (lower-level (2 & 5) platform) in the Bronx and I guarantee you will see rats not far from commuters who are waiting for the next downtown 2 Express train.
New York State Senator Bill Perkins of Manhattan has introduced legislation that will make it illegal to consume food while in the New York City Subway system. His reasoning is simple: “You feed them, you breed them.” With regards to “them,” Perkins is referring to rodents eating the leftover remnants of trash from passengers. If it becomes law, violators will be forced to pay one of the MTA’s highest fines, $250, per offense.
Back in November 2011, I wrote an article about the implications of removing trash cans from the systems. The proponents’ logic is that if people have nowhere to put their trash, they will take it with them. You have to ask, however, does that logic hold up in New York City, a city where millions use the system on a daily basis?
This new eating legislation brings on issues that the MTA is not ready to address, mainly because of the state of its finances. Commerce will complicate this proposed legislation, and if passed, vice versa. The MTA currently leases space in stations to small newspaper stands and retailers that sell a variety of products, ranging from beverages to candy and, in some cases, meals, clothing and household goods. The perfect example is at the 34th Street – Herald Square Station where one may find a Burger King underground. To fully reduce the amount of trash and rodents within the system, they would have to eliminate the retailers which produce trash. Eliminating the source, in this case, would be foolish. Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller, estimated in 2010 that the MTA makes $200 million in revenue from various real estate deals, with the potential to make more.
New York City is a city that never sleeps, and the New York City Subway is one of the few transportation systems you will find anywhere in the world that offers 24/7 services for its riders. People are always on the move, there’s never a shortage of them, and some journeys are long. Can people really be expected not to consume food and beverages while in the system? I feel as if that goes against New York City’s culture.
This is an issue where I sit on the fence. There is no denying that the general cleanliness of the system is a major problem, and I don’t like that I share the system with millions of rodents. I have seen rodents underground, above ground, and inside train cars. This problem needs to be tackled and Senator Perkins should be applauded for starting up the conversation. It’s a problem that affects the four million-plus riders that use the system on a daily basis.
When I worked full-time and went to graduate school, there were many nights when hunger pains overcame me before heading home on the subway. When you have a commute that is well over an hour as well as six case studies that need to be completed, you don’t waste time by sitting in a restaurant. I’ve been there; I’ve had my fair share of meals while in the subway. But here is the thing: what I bring with me on the subway leaves with me or finds its way into a trash can on the platform. The MTA and New York City Police Department need to work on fining those who are caught littering in the system. Simply put, step up your game, MTA: you can use the revenue from the fines.
This rodent problem is not an issue solely caused by commuters. When the MTA decided to cut the amount of cleaners in the system in its last round of budget cuts, they themselves added to the problem. Also, for many years and to this day, the MTA does not manage its garbage well. In many stations around New York, there are garbage receptacles and holding bins that are left open or cracked, which allows for rodents to feed off of the garbage. There are also “refuse rooms” where rodents can easily make their way through cracks and spaces under the doors.
With the combination of better practices and better rule enforcement, the MTA can tackle the rodent issue without the need to ban food altogether.
