Posted by Leonard Steinberg on September 20th, 2012
After ranking a tidier No. 5 last year, New York City has regained its No. 1 spot for grit and grime as the dirtiest city in the USA. Some have argued that littering fines here should be tougher: now you can get up to 10 days in jail. Pollution isn’t always just what you see or smell: New York also won the survey for being the noisiest and rudest city. So how do we fight back? Here are my suggestions:
1) All laws and codes are USELESS if they are not enforced: Maybe the City could generate millions by actually enforcing the laws designed to protect the city?
2) Instant $ 100 fines for littering PLUS a full day devoted to picking up litter.
3) Ban smoking in front of buildings: its vulgar and disgusting that we who don’t smoke have to walk through the clouds of filth that these smokers produce…..maybe we should spray Kim Kardashian perfume at them in retaliation? And lets create bubbles for the smokers so that they can experience what we have to: taking in 80% of the smoke they are creating that they are not inhaling directly into their lungs.
4) Ban all loud motorbikes and cars from the city: any entering the city should be confiscated and auctioned off to generate income….ok, maybe just a large fine to reclaim the vehicle with a rebate if they can prove it has a new silencer.
5) Post signs everywhere informing all who live here about the laws governing noise: they do exist but they are not enforced.
6) Demand all garbage trucks to be tested for the levels of noise they produce and engineer them to change: If busses could do it (we live in the 21st century!) then I feel certain those antiquated garbage trucks can do the same.
7) Encourage more electric vehicles: they are virtually silent. They are clean.
8) The entire trash collecting system in the city is from the dark ages: exposed bags, over-filled trash cans. Its a big mess. Take a trip to some other countries and learn how they are doing it.
9) PEER PRESSURE: See someone litter? SAY SOMETHING! See some litter on the street: pick it up and put it in the trash! Someone making ridiculous noise? CALL 911! Call on your elected officials to make this issue a bigger one.
Yes we live in a large city, and we expect it to be much louder and messier than the suburbs, but much of the noise and dirt is simply excessive and unacceptable…..we need to fight back. It’s good for all real estate! Granted Switzerland is a bit excessive in its enforcement of code, but ask anyone who lives there about the end result…..a better quality of life for all. It works.