The latest scandal captivating the city of Chicago is almost too nutty to believe. But by now, the allergy community knows not to expect anything less — And while the news story may have only broken this past month, All Things Allergies has been barking up this tree for years.
Here’s the situation: An elderly billionaire couple in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Barre and Barbara Seid, are reportedly hiring people to feed the local squirrels. Their efforts seem innocent enough until you learn the piles of Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts have attracted more than just squirrels — Our green spaces have become an all-you-can-eat buffet for rats, leaving the parks increasingly unsanitary and less enjoyable for families.
Of course, I’d argue that the so-called “fancy nuts” did that all on their own, but alas.
Local officials have reportedly fined the Seid family over $40,000, which seems to have only motivated them to ramp up the feeding operation. The city is now pursuing formal legal action against the couple to prevent any further property damage to the public spaces. Meanwhile, the Chicago Park District has directed landscape crews to remove nuts and other food items during their routine cleanings.
Literal music to my ears!
Did I ever imagine it would take a billionaire squirrel-feeding scandal and an escalating rat problem to get people on board with not scattering nuts all over public parks? Never in a million years.
Was I hoping the city might rally around the food allergy community before the rats got involved? Absolutely.
But no nuts in the parks means no nuts in the parks, and honestly, that’s something we can all get behind.
Spending most Saturday mornings at the Green City Farmers Market, I’ve been tiptoeing around peanut shells in Lincoln Park for as long as I can remember. While the average park-goer probably never gave them a second thought until now, I always keep my eyes peeled for nuts — Because food allergens aren’t just at the dinner table. They follow us into restaurants, airplanes, schools, stadiums, and even public parks. What seems like harmless litter to one person can be a significant source of anxiety for someone else.
We shouldn’t need a rat infestation or a billionaire-sized controversy to recognize that public spaces should be clean, accessible, and welcoming to everyone.
I guess I can’t be too mad about the whole ordeal. After all, all of the piles of nuts helped my Instagram Reel rack up more than 1.5 million views. And thanks to the rats, I’ve been vindicated that “feeling like the butt of a big practical joke” was actually a little closer to the truth than anyone realized.
