‘Gave him the Aladdin treatment’: Why kill a cockroach when you can give it a first-class flight instead?

‘Tis the season when bugs find their way through any and every crack or crevice to make themselves warm and comfortable in our homes. Cockroaches, ants, beetles, and flies sneak into bathrooms and kitchens, raring to give residents a good old-fashioned fright while they’re trying to go about their business.

After the screaming is out of the way, the second order of business is to find a way to get rid of your new unwanted house guest. Some people give them a good stomp, while others spray them with the insect killers of their choice. Then there’s the slightly less deadly method of trapping the big under a cup or bowl, sliding a paper underneath, and allowing it to roam free outside.

One duo on TikTok decided to use this tactic when they found a cockroach in their apartment. The only issue was they didn’t have a super easy way of letting the bug back out into nature. So, they trapped him under a clear bowl and slid a paper underneath, attempting to dump the unwanted pest off of the balcony.

Instead, the cockroach took the paper with him and majestically floated down to the street as if he were enjoying a magic carpet ride guided by Aladdin himself.

Commenters are obsessed with how elegantly the cockroach met his demise. They called his exile demure, gentle, and simply the ride of his life. And, of course, the Aladdin comparisons were not lost on them. I mean, you can practically hear him belting “A Whole New World” all the way down to the street.

Other people were just worried about the risks of sending a cockroach flying down toward the street. One person pondered what would happen if the roach floated into someone’s sunroof as they drove down the street, another worried that it would float down to someone else’s apartment, and a third wondered what would happen if he had landed on someone’s shoulder.

But most people were just relieved and impressed that he landed so gently and safely at the base of the building.

If you don’t feel like sending your roaches on a magic carpet ride, the New York State Department of Health has a couple of recommendations on what to do if you find these critters in your home and how to prevent them from coming in in the first place. First and foremost, it’s important to keep food containers sealed and sweep up any rogue crumbs or food particles on your floors or counters. Roaches also like water. Fixing leaves and wiping up spills can keep them at bay. If you find a roach, cleaning up, vacuuming, and investing in roach bait and sticky traps can get rid of them quickly and efficiently.

Of course, you could always send every one of them on a magic carpet ride of their own, but depending on your roach problem that may be a cumbersome task and a huge waste of paper. Plus, odds are at least one or two would land on a car, nearby balcony, or passerby.