So what started as some parents getting upset that rats are overtaking the Ninth Street playground in Tompkins Square Park has become a
full-on media frenzy. ABC, NBC, Fox and NY1 have all filed reports. (Hello, CBS?)
Of course, all this media hysteria is great fun to watch.
But! Bob Arihood makes some good points
in a post at Neither More Nor Less. For starters: "From what we've seen over the last 4 or 5 years that [rat] population hasn't changed all that much."
And as he points out, some of the criticism of the Parks Department is misdirected. A lot of people simply leave bags of food/trash lying around. Like this one from yesterday that contained some pretty tasty lo-mein.
And perhaps people such as
The Pigeon Lady shouldn't be pulling up the chuckwagon for the pigeons. Maybe there should be a 10-pound limit? All the leftovers become rat food.
In any event, Bob has some sensible ideas. You can read his post
here.
Also, if you are interested in getting involved with the Tompkins Square Park & Playgrounds Parents’ Association ... they
have a Facebook page.
Finally, you know what will likely happen... with rat fear at an all-time high, pranksters will begin dressing up as rats to push people over the edge. PANIC. Just like those no good kids who pulled a fake shark prank in "Jaws."
[Top dead rat photo from yesterday by Bobby Williams]
