New York City Mayor Eric Adams is known for his ratfighting obsession — no wonder, given urban legend has it that America’s largest city has more rodents than people. He has already put forward several proposals to combat the animals, such as a bucket that lures them with the smell of food and then drowns them in a vinegarlike solution. Now the city government has ramped up its extermination ambitions, announcing a vacancy for a “rodent control director,” for which it is willing to pay between $120,000 and $170,000 (approximately R$626,340 and BRL 887,315, according to the Google quote).
The ad uses humor to lure contestants (and even references the movie Ratatouille, in which a mouse controls a chef’s movements). “Despite his successful public communications strategy and slick social media presence, rats are not our friends — they are enemies that must be abolished by the combined forces of our city government. Rodents spread disease, damage our homes and plumbing, and even try to control the movements of restaurant kitchen workers to take over human jobs. Cunning, voracious, and prolific, New York’s rats are known for their survival skills, but they don’t rule the city—we do.”
Despite all the jokes, the position requires highly qualified candidates, preferably with a degree in public policy and five to eight years of experience in a similar position. New York’s new rat killer must also have “a swashbuckling attitude, a sly sense of humor and an overall badass aura.” Unfortunately, interested Brazilians cannot apply as interested parties must live in New York for at least 90 days before they can apply for selection. Still curious? The full ad is available on the city’s websitein English.