Rampant Rats in New York
“The rats are absolutely going to hate this announcement. The rats don't run this city, we do.” Spoken by New York’s Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, this infamous quote has been turned into a meme, viral audio, and slogan in the city’s war against the rampant rat population. Spearheading this war against rats is Kathleen Corradi, who has recently been appointed Rat Czar, formally known as the Director of Rodent Control. She is responsible for responding to the growing concern over the health and safety risks associated with the city's rat population. The rat issue stems from systemic problems surrounding sanitation, health, and housing. It is especially problematic for low-income communities that are disproportionately impacted due to limited access to sanitation services and often substandard housing. To take this into account, $3.5 million will be spent in the “Harlem Rat Exclusion Zone,” the northern half of Manhattan, to improve and increase inspections, use equipment such as bait and traps, and harden floors at some public housing to prevent rat burrowing. Moreover, council member Shaun Abreu exclaims that, “This is not a Ratatouille. Rats are not our friends. We are taking the fight to the rats.” Contrary to Ratatouille, food and rats don’t belong together. However, the primary reason for the New Yorker rat population doubling from 2021 to 2022 is because of the growing piles of trash which is the rat’s source of food. NYC produces 33 million tons of trash each year, but by replacing traditional trash compactors with a mailbox style opening, it will effectively cut rats off from their food source.
While some might argue that the rats have become a part of the city's charm, a sort of unspoken mascot if you will, over very own mayor Eric Adams chooses to disagree by saying, “Fighting crime, fighting inequality, fighting rats. Some of the same folks are criticizing us now, called me a murderer because I was killing rats. I hate rats.” This stream of unhinged rat hatred rhetoric perfectly encapsulates New Yorkers’ attitude towards the fight these nasty rodents.
