That moment when New York City realized that it doesn't have to resort to clogging its curbs and sidewalks with loose bags of trash and can instead rely on sophisticated technology: Trash cans
Car brain in the comment thread...
Trash bags take up exactly as much space as a trash bag for exactly as long as it is on the sidewalk. Trash cans take up more than their maximum capacity regardless of how full they are, 24 hours a day.
And the tweeter's reply...
Despite having the best public transit system in America, New York City has 3 million on-street parking spaces, more than 95% of which are free, and your concern is… trash cans taking up too much space? Sorry, but if you love the rats so much, why don't you marry one?
in new york, things are special because new yorkers believe they are. i mean, it's not like anywhere else in north america has a completely unique, owner-operated store selling a weird variety of convenience items and egg sandwiches. such a thing can only have ever happened in new york, where the magic of civilization happens. once you leave the boroughs, it's all just chains.