No trash cans? No problem!

Apparently the MTA thought so anyway, because their pilot program of trying to reduce litter in subway stations removed all the trash cans at 39 different stations.

Genius! Counter-intuitive! Far-sighted! Idiotic!

Whatever your thoughts were on the garbage experiment, we've passed the hump.

It's been canned, so to speak, according to TimeOut NY. The problem, as far as anyone can tell, was that the MTA's good intentions were based on the wrong kind of metric. 

Whaddyamean, metric? 

Meaning— they measured the success of the program partly on how many bags of trash were collected. Which is mind-numbing when there are no bags to collect. So obviously the stations without trash cans will weigh in light, night after night, in the full trash bag department.

There were other measurements too, like customer satisfaction— based on the visibility of trash bags and receptacles. You know what, maybe there's something else in here...

[anad]

Here, there's something about the amount of potential food available to rodents. Fewer trash receptacles, fewer feasting rats? Eh, maybe. Or maybe the trash just became more dispersed and the rats followed.

At the end of the day though, did New Yorkers pack it in and take their trash home when they realized the trash cans were gone? 

kevinmcl

We'll hazard to guess no, based on anecdotal experience witnessing unspeakable acts in the subway stations. That, and the ultimate repeal of the pilot program. 

The trash cans are coming back, praise be to the trash gods. Now we can get back to the familiar obscene trash can action in those 39 stations, along with you know, throwing stuff out.