aiexpress – A heartrending video, shared on January 8 by @six4bk78, captures the poignant image of a homeless man peacefully sleeping on the ground beneath a modest gray blanket. Only his worn-out shoes are visible at the edge of the subway platform.
As the video starts, nearby commuters can be heard chuckling as a couple of rats scurry away from the blanket and head towards the subway tracks.
The man holding the camera approaches the slumbering figure and greets him with a casual “Yo.” As he utters the word with a slightly increased volume, the homeless man beneath the blanket starts to stir, responding to the disturbance.
As he pushes the blanket aside, over a dozen rats scurry away. The video, labeled with “Only in New York City Transit” and a rat emoji, captures the scene.
The video abruptly ends after one person exclaims, “Oh my God.” This viral TikTok video has garnered over 7 million views.
The critters didn’t seem to bother the homeless man at all, as he remained completely unfazed and didn’t react.
The text over the video inquires about the actions being taken to address the rats and homeless crisis in New York.
Despite Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to address the issue, homelessness continues to increase in New York City. The city has implemented various strategies, such as police enforcement, sweeps, and outreach initiatives, in an attempt to alleviate the problem. However, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness remains on the rise.
The number of individuals sleeping on the streets or in the subways during the citywide tally in January 2023 witnessed a significant increase of 18% compared to the previous year. The annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate survey recorded a total of 4,042 people, compared to 3,439 in 2022.
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At the same time, Adams appears to be losing his multi-million dollar war on New York City’s vermin population even after hiring Kathleen Corradi at $155,000 yearly as the city’s first “rat czar” in April .
According to city data, there has been an almost 8% increase in rodent complaints across the five boroughs since he assumed office.
In 2023, the city’s 311 hotline received a total of 41,748 reports of rat sightings and other vermin-related complaints. This number reflects a 1.5% increase compared to the previous year’s total of 41,120 reports. Additionally, it marks a significant rise of 7.6% from the 38,809 complaints received in 2021 during Bill de Blasio’s last year as mayor. Moreover, these figures show a substantial increase of 32% compared to the 31,644 complaints recorded in 2019, according to an analysis of city records by the Post.
Brooklyn, the borough where Adams served as president, continues to have the highest number of rodent complaints in New York City for the fifth consecutive year. In 2023, there were 15,769 complaints, which is a 5% increase from the previous year’s total of 15,032.
