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‘Gnarly And Cadaverous’: Odor Complaints In New York City Skyrocket This Summer: Report

   DailyWire.com
Trash
Frederick Bass via Getty Images

Anyone visiting New York City in the heat of the summer knows the smell of trash can get intense, but one report found that 2022 has been a particularly disgusting year.

According to a New York Post analysis, calls to 311 regarding outdoor odor complaints reached a record high, increasing 54% this year compared to the same month in 2021.

The publication spoke with several employees and residents to assess how they felt about the stench of the city.

“Every morning I smell like a rancid smell, like rotten food that has been sitting there for a while,” Justin Colon, a porter at a Times Square office tower, told the publication.

“No matter what you do — if you douse yourself in a bottle of perfume or Chanel No. 5 — the scent is still on the tip of your nose,” tech worker Jaiden Williams said of the constant bad smell. He went on to describe the stink as “gnarly and cadaverous.”

“It’s a rotten, lingering smell, and if it rains, it smells even worse,” fashion worker Milly Aldon told the Post. She said Manhattan is “an alive city that smells like death.”

This is partly due to heaps of trash left baking in the sun, which is a constant problem. But a growing concern is the increased number of homeless individuals defecating in the streets.

“I clean the steps going down to the subway. I’ve cleaned up poop so many times,” Colon explained. “This morning I was cleaning up poop.”

“It is not uncommon to see human feces on the street,” a police officer told the publication. “I guess you only have to pick up after your dog.”

Meanwhile, a Manhattan NYPD detective described it differently. “The homeless people are s***ing all over the place,” he said.

The article also mentions outdoor dining sheds, which were popularized during the pandemic, that are now mostly abandoned and being utilized for purposes including sleeping, having sex, doing drugs, and going to the bathroom, according to some restaurant owners.

It’s also mentioned that in 2016, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) decriminalized public urination as part of the Criminal Justice Reform Act. This led to increased incidents of public urination and now defecation, which both contribute to the overall stench.

According to inspection data, 14% of city parks had closed their restrooms as of July 2, leaving homeless people with fewer public facilities to use.

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