How about some real cleanup

To the Editor,

Regarding Mayor Eric Adams’ op-ed in the Aug. 28 issue of The Riverdale Press, “From the Mean Streets to Clean Streets: A Cleaner City for All New Yorkers”:

Seriously, Mayor Adams — New York City becoming the cleanest city in the country? I applaud your effort to help us get there, but have you walked down any major street in the city lately?

They’re filthy.

Yes, I hate seeing black garbage bags piled high and dumped all over sidewalks — even at designated pickup sites — but that’s not the biggest problem. How about putting more trash cans around the city so people can throw garbage away properly instead of dropping it on the ground? How about enforcing the law and making store owners, building managers and even homeowners sweep the areas in front of their properties?

How about the Sanitation Department doing a better job during scheduled pickups instead of leaving so much trash behind? How about cleaning up our dirty subway stations?

How about, how about, how about. I could go on, but I hope you get the message.

From what I’ve heard, one reason sanitation workers, supers and porters are unhappy with the new containerization law is that the required bins are too heavy and grueling for crews to lift and empty. Can we at least look into lighter containers?

And finally — the real reason our city is so dirty is us.

Garbage doesn’t walk onto the streets by itself. You throw it there. You eat breakfast or lunch on the subway and leave containers and leftover food behind. Get up earlier and eat at home. You toss trash on the street because you can’t find a can. Hold onto it until you get home.

And then you have the nerve to complain about how dirty the city is?

So, thank you, Mayor Adams, for what you’re trying to do. But you’ve still got a bigger job ahead — go after our upright, two-legged citizens as well as our four-legged ones.

Only then will we make real progress.

ADA N. LETELIER