Dryer Vents

Walking along the streets of New York City is like walking no where else. We look up to gorgeous skyscrapers, see all different kinds of people and dogs everywhere we look and are greeted with temptation at every corner, in the form of expensive clothing stores, exotic-looking members of the opposite gender, and, of course, all the tasty eateries. But, our leisurely city walks are different for another, more sinister, more repulsive reason:

Dryer vents from restaurants.

Nothing interrupts a beautiful stroll with a friend or a significant other more than the putrid scent of garbage incinerator… or a hearty breath of Hamburger smoke… or a generous gulp of air filled with the odors of burnt rubber, spoiled greens and cleaning products.

In New York City, despite the fact that plenty of restaurants point their air vents inward, toward alleys and courtyards, there are still many, even along the finest avenues of the Upper East Side, that direct their unwanted exhaust up the nasal passages of poor passers-by outside.

I’ll never forget the day last summer when I was jogging along Park Avenue and, in an innocent gasp for air, I was forced to cower in disgust, overcome by dry heaves brought on by the burnt-bread and cheese odors being casually emitted by a fancy French bistro.