Larry Geller’s Chinatown rodent retreat video drew conflicting reactions yesterday.
One email dismissed attempted to dismiss Geller as “a busybody who wants his 15 minutes”, and suggested “take a look at the dumpsters behind Jack in the Box and KFC and you will see hoards of rats.”
Another reader emailed:
Those photos of the big fat rats in Chinatown reminded me of the various cats I saw there in years past when I would visit with my boss. She bought herbs there and favored different restaurants. I can’t imagine why they aren’t allowed by Health Inspectors, when rats are so obviously a much worse problem. But then there are people who just hate cats, no matter what. Sad people they are.
And another reader who commented on yesterday’s post extolled the ratter abilities of Jack Russell Terriers.
Ms. Annie stayed out most of the night hunting, despite the rain. Any connection?
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Clearly, there is a rat problem in Chinatown and in this particular market.
But a few things bothered me about the various media reports.
First, they singled out a neighborhood and a market mainly because free video was made available.
But rats can be spotted in many neighborhoods and many establishments.
The particular market that was featured is part of a large complex of vendor stalls that are under one roof and are not physically separated from each other.
Obviously, the market has a rat problem. But it was singled out mainly because it has front windows accessible to passersby with video cameras.
There are likely very similar problems with many other vendor operations under that same roof, and they could very well be worse in the rear areas, far from windows and cameras.
Many other markets and restaurants downtown and elsewhere likley have very similar problems. I have seen rats in Kahala, for example.
That doesn’t mean it was necessarily wrong to spotlight this market, but comments I have heard on radio and seen on the Web show that the coverage has drawn out and fueled some nasty racist stereotypes, and I think that’s partly because the free video artificially focused attention in a particular area.
It’s a tough call, because the rats are indeed there. But that’s not the only place, and people should keep that in mind.
Agreed.
Rats, coons, or other vermin in dumpsters is NOT the same thing as rats on food that has not been discarded but awaits human consumption. The presence of vermin in dumpsters does not NECESSARILY translate to vermin in the food storage/prep/serving area.