Is the MTA Responsible For Our Littering? (No.)

Photo via www.one-story.com

Man, do New Yorkers love to blame the MTA for everything.

Recently, the Brooklyn Paper reported that, in an effort to keep Master Splinter and his rat friends at bay, the MTA removed trash cans from the 7th ave. and 9th Street F/G subway station. Following this Great Trash Can Exodus, straphangers are now reportedly hanging on to their trash as they exit the subway station, at which time they proceed to toss that shit on the sidewalk or street.

And who's at the center of blame for this? The MTA.

Via the BK Paper:

That frustrates residents and business owners who say the MTA’s “pilot program” — which operates under the principle that less trash cans leads to tidier places — is about as logical as chopping down trees to make Prospect Park greener.

Other business operators say straphangers who weren’t big litterbugs before have started stashing trash in weird places, causing a sometimes-funky smell and giving the street a less-than-appetizing appearance.

Hear that? The MTA has made non-litterbugs transform into totally careless slobs.

Now, as a typical New Yorker, I also hate the MTA with 99% of my life force, but blaming them for this shit is just ridiculous. Yes, perhaps it's a teensy bit inconvenient to have to hold onto your eco-bio safe homemade coffee cup an extra ten extra seconds until reaching the trash can that's right outside the subway station, but that's no reason to just say "eff it," and throw your shit on the sidewalk in front of Dizzy's Diner. 

I'd rather not have super-rats growing in our local station, thank you very much. I mean, earlier this month some little girl in Colorado almost died of bubonic plague, which she contracted from a rural squirrel. If a suburban rodent has bubonic plague, imagine what these little Slope-side fuckers have. Look, I know life in Park Slope is super hard, but let's put on our big girl panties (or manties) and deal with it in the name of being black death-free, ok?!