Today's Urban Etiquette Sign comes from East Fifth Street between Avenue A and Avenue B… where someone is apparently dumping food in this tree pit… not sure if the above buffet arrived before or after the sign did. Regardless, that looks pretty tasty. Maybe a kale carrot slaw that's heavy on the carrots? The rule of thumb is two medium-sized carrots for every cup of kale.
Thank God the rats are receiving nutritious meals. It's wonderful to see them eating so well, but the food should be served in a proper dish, not strewn across the snow like slop.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this crap there before; never knew if it's food or some chemical stuff. The sign came in response to this batch; when I first saw it a few days ago there was no sign yet.
ReplyDeleteA block north, two older women who regularly throw bread for rats on E 6th btw A and B, every morning while waiting for a car, will curse you out like sailors if you ask them not to do that. Lovely neighbors we got.
That looks like juicing pulp.
ReplyDeleteAnyone in his or her right mind should understand the concept of food dumped on the outdoors will be consumed by rats. Unfortunately these rat breeders are completely insane and there is no talking to them, I know I've tried.
ReplyDeletefat ratz mean more food for the RTHawks!
ReplyDeleteI-)
That's not food dumping, thats barf, its all over the east village, too many bars...
ReplyDeleteSo who are these people feeding the rats? Are they old ladies? Are they restaurant workers? I am curious as to why they do it. And can you be fined for feeding the rats? It seems like you could be.
ReplyDeleteIf we clean this up, we are just giving in to the further gentrification that is robbing the LES of its character. Filth, rats, trash- now THAT's the LES most of you are always romanticizing, right? Why draw an arbitrary line in the sand? Stick to your guns, people.
ReplyDeleteAnon 1.19: I'm from Eastern Europe and back home, people tend to do this in order not to "waste" stale bread. Rather than throw out old bread, some people will feed it to farm animals (if they have any), and others will try to "feed" it to birds. Perhaps some of the elderly here feel the same. Or maybe some of these people are just crazy and don't think poor birdies will survive without their aid.
ReplyDelete(Also, for many older Catholics I knew in Eastern Europe, throwing bread in particular into trash was anathema, because Jesus's body and all that. Hence the bird "feeding." I have no clue if this is part of the reasoning for the elderly here, but just saying that some people raised Catholic are conditioned, perhaps subconsciously, to never trash bread, although they'll trash other leftover food. My mother would yell at me if I put stale bread into trash.)
ReplyDeleteAs a lapsed Catholic, I was taught that of all the wasted food sins, bread was the worst, because (as Anon 1:54 pointed out) that was the stand-in for Jesus' body at the Last Supper. So the good nuns made sure I knew that for every crumb of bread thrown away or let gone to waste, I would have to spend a certain amount of time in Purgatory. To this day, if I throw away a crust of penicillin-worthy bread, I think of that. Not kidding.
ReplyDeleteWe have the composting station outside First Park every morning M-F, 8-11.
ReplyDeleteI love it. Between composting and recycling I take out half the amount of trash as I used to.
I agree with 10:12 am - The hawks approve of the bread and carrot stuffing
ReplyDeleteI hate when people feed the rats because usually they strew their bread or other food all over the sidewalk and when I'm walking my dog, he'll always lunge for it.
ReplyDeleteIt particularly sucks when people throw their pork and chicken bones all over the sidewalk, as if they're just walking along throwing them over their shoulder as they eat.
Anon. 1:50: I'm aware a lot of people like to throw their bread out so they'll feel virtuous for feeding the birds. If I point out to them they're feeding the rats, some have retorted, "I'm not feeding the rats, I'm only feeding the birds."
ReplyDeleteI point out to these people—if I'm feeling like getting into it—that they're littering. I'm never able to convince them, but that's what they're doing.
Lastly, I always put my bread in the compost; it's the best place for biodegradable waste.