Aviously

I’m so tired of the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) coming up with excuses for everything. Now I don’t really blame them for this, I think the garbage truly flows downhill, but let’s look at two pressing issues facing the city right now, snow removal and garbage backup.

• Let’s look first at that garbage removal, which thanks to last Thursday’s snowstorm has been piling up everywhere. The local ABC 7 affiliate had this to say:
  

  Not only did they have snow to deal with, but also the holidays, with all the Christmas trees and extra household garbage. Having to clean up tons of confetti in Times Square on New Year’s Eve probably didn’t didn’t help either.

  They are joking, right? The New Years Eve confetti does NOTHING to the regularly scheduled pickup schedule. For one thing, it happens from 12:30AM-4AM, hours when the city isn’t doing pickup to begin with.
  Also, it’s a holiday, when they don’t do trash pickup anyways, and which this year fell a day after a Sunday when they don’t do any pickups either.

• Snow removal – Ever since the man himself (BdB) took office he’s been plagued with snow removal troubles, literally on Day 1. The city’s response these days is to “suspend alternate side of the street parking while they continue ongoing snow removal”.
  Well, the crosswalks are still full of snow 7-days later, but at least the centers of the streets are clear of snow. Crossing the street includes a good foot into slush moment as you try to push through what the city hasn’t cleaned, and good luck trying to avoid that by walking between parked cars to get into the street.
  So instead of suspending the alternate side parking, why don’t they keep (and enforce) it, and while there are no cars in the parking lane, come down the street with the plows and ‘dozers and rid the streets of all the snow.
  They did it in Manhattan on the big avenues, so we know it’s doable…they just don’t want to.
  In 2010 the DSNY had a budget strike and avoided plowing for a few days. When it was resolved they had tens of unplowed streets to clean, each with 1’+ of snow on it. So they rolled out 10’ high bulldozers and literally scooped up entire blocks at a time and cleaned it up in no time.

With both of these issues, they have the ability. They just don’t have the leadership that will push them to a clean ending.