Greenpoint Feral Mattress Watch: Inhabited

Sherry Wasserman (who sent me the above specimen) writes:

Miss Heather:

Since Monday I’ve noticed many orphan mattresses. You’ve covered a few in your blog, but I think this one takes the cake. Ever since the big blizzard, garbage pick up in the Garden Spot of the Universe has been sporadic at best, and I’m wondering if anyone in nearby neighborhoods has experienced anything similar. This mattress — tagged with a bed-bug warning — has been waiting for the department of sanitation for most of this week. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the streets are clear and we haven’t had any blizzard-level precipitation that would warrant the cancellation of garbage pick up. Has New York’s Strongest given up?

Actually, this reminds me of an email I received from a Williamsburger but have been woefully remiss in sharing. Here it is. E writes:

Your post on the Mattress Mountain of Manhattan Avenue reminded me about something I saw on the Dept of Sanitation website.

I was there looking for information on Christmas tree pick up, but something else caught my eye:  whenever you throw out a mattress in this fine city of ours nowadays, you’re supposed to encase it in plastic to prevent spread of bedbugs.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/collection/bulk.shtml

Apparently, it’s a fairly new rule.  Obviously, it’s not being enforced (I know, shocker!  Cuz our Sanitation Dept is soooo great! #sarcasm).  I see un-encased mattresses wherever I go in our fine borough.

Anyway, just thought you may want to know.  Maybe if the rule is actually publicized, people will do it regardless of lackluster enforcement?

So there have you.

Miss Heather