Diem Boyd was sitting outside a restaurant in New York's Greenwich fashion village in September when a family of mice ran across her legs.
"Within seconds everyone jumped up," she says. "We lost our appetite."
Everyone in New York has a similar story to tell, she explains. "We have a full blast of mice."
"You see them when you go out at night," admits Deborah Gonzalez, who, like Diem, lives on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "When you walk on this block, you see them running back and forth."
It is difficult to measure the exact numbers, but calls to the New York City's rodent complaint hotline have risen this year, 15% more to pre-pandemic levels.
"Of course New York has always had mice," says Marcell Rocha, who also lives in the neighborhood, but now "they are bigger and braver, and they jump."
Diem, Marcell and Deborah object to restaurants occupying streets in their local area
So what has changed?
Diem, Deborah and Marcell blamed this new "plague", precisely on the points of eating in nature, encouraging many more people to eat at tables outside.
There are more than 11,000 new outdoor dining spots.
Residents are concerned that the mania of eating outdoors is creating problems with access and is increasing waste.
Dhe ndërsa leja fillestare për ngritjen e zonave të ngrënies në natyrë ishte një masë e përkohshme emergjente në dhëmbët e pandemisë, në fund të vitit 2020, , kryetari i bashkisë njoftoi se dëshironte ta bënte ngrënien e përhapur në natyrë një veçori të përhershme.
Kjo lëvizje ka zemëruar Diem, Marcell dhe Deborah. Ata thonë se nuk është bërë vlerësimi i duhur për ndikimin që kanë banesat e restoranteve. Dhe ata, së bashku me më shumë se një duzinë banorë të tjerë, kanë nisur veprime ligjore për të provuar ta detyrojnë qytetin të shikojë më nga afër efektin që do të ketë një zgjerim i përhershëm i të ngrënit në natyrë .
Disa banorë po bëjnë thirrje për një rishikim të ndikimit të ngrënies në natyrë
They say rats, crowds and dirt are disturbing, but she also worries about elderly residents trying to walk on busy sidewalks.
Jacob Siwak, the chef and owner of the Italian restaurant Forsythia, right across the street from where Deborah lives, finds angry criticism of the outdoor dining scheme.
"It's crazy for me that people are focusing on these details, it can be an easy negative when there are so many radical positives," he says.
