The other day, we were washing our dishes and the world's largest f*cking cockroach came scurrying out of the sink. We're sorry to gross you out, but imagine how we felt. Jesus, it was the size of a small rat. Actually, a rat would have been preferable. It's the kind of trauma that makes you wonder if there really is a god, because in her infinite wisdom, why would she create giant, indestructable bugs that quite literally serve no other purpose other than to spread germs and provide nightmare fuel for one of the shorts in Stephen King's Creepshow? And if you're going to create them, why make them the one sentient being that could survive a nuclear holocaust? Obviously, cockroaches prove that the world is a cold, meaningless place and we are all alone in the universe. Except for the cockroaches.
On the plus side, now we can map out what parts of the city has the most eating establishments with infestations of these horrific creatures, and use that knowledge to avoid eating there--or anywhere really--ever again.
Created in 2010 during The Great Urban Hack NYC, The New York City Roach Map divides the city and surrounding buroughs up in its 185 postal codes and uses the number of health inspections in conjunction to the incident reports of the bugs to come up with an "expected roach rate" for the area.
Here's the 2010 map:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
And here's the latest data:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Thank you Niles Brooks, Jim Colgan, Max Shron, John Myles White, and Chrys Wu for compiling all this information for us...but next time consider that ignorance, at least when it comes to roaches, is bliss.
