Consequences of New Outdoor Dining Options

PHASE TWO of re-opening NYC began this past Monday (6-22-2020) and DAY 5, was yesterday (Friday, 6-26-2020). During this second phase, indoor dining is still prohibited, but our mayor (Bill De Blasio) has opened up the streets to allow outdoor dining,

Restaurant upon restaurant have been bringing their tables outside (as I mentioned in a recent post here on Blogger). Recently someone posted cyber-content about this matter saying, "Phase 2 reopening started this week in NYC: street dining is allowed at restaurants. Some parking spaces have been sacrificed."

I commented on her post saying "much more than a parking spot is being sacrificed." 

For one thing, an area is now littered with cigarette butts because a restaurant put up a plank (in what would be parking spaces as seen in the image atop this entry as well as in the one directly below) to use as a makeshift counter so folks can drink cocktails and munch on snacks, but they did not enforce littering protocols.

Another place posted a sign on a tree that is growing in a tree pit in front of their place of business.
It can be seen in the next picture.

The sign reads: "NO STANDING OPEN RESTAURANT," but says nothing about disposing of cocktail napkins properly, as opposed to tossing them into the tree pit.

[PLEASE NOTE, I TOOK THESE PICTURES DURING THE MORNING HOURS (WHEN THESE PLACES OF BUSINESS ARE CLOSED) WHICH IS WHY "THE NEW DINING SPACE" IS EMPTY IN MY PHOTO-OPS. IT IS FILLED TO CAPACITY AND BEYOND DURING THEIR BUSINESS HOURS AND THE WHOLE SITUATION IS VERY SCARY.]

While it's true "some parking spaces are being sacrificed," something much more important is going on, recycling and carrying for our fragile environment is going by the wayside.

The litter from outdoor diners is sickening. Cigarette butts, discarded cocktail napkins and even face-masks (as seen below) are strewn all over the streets, where parking spots have become places for outdoor dining.

Moreover, early on NYC postponed (until June 2021) all composting.

Additionally, streets have not been cleaned during the lockdowns either, but now that we are in phases of re-opening, I'm wondering why can't we re-open composting?

And if outdoor dining is to be a part of out lives rather we like it or not, can't owners of these places be responsible to clean up, just as they would clean up within their own place?