Is neighborhood litter a crazy reason to want to move?

[Anonymous]

It takes a lot of continuous labor to keep city blocks clean. It's up to the government to push this issue. You have to have unionized workers picking up litter, you need them continuously changing public trash bins. You need store and real estate owners to have staff or janitorial services pick up trash around buildings and parking lots every morning. It's a lot.

Also note a lot of it is from garbage trucks. Careless drivers and over-filled loads spilling loose trash out of the back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It takes a lot of continuous labor to keep city blocks clean. It's up to the government to push this issue. You have to have unionized workers picking up litter, you need them continuously changing public trash bins. You need store and real estate owners to have staff or janitorial services pick up trash around buildings and parking lots every morning. It's a lot.

Also note a lot of it is from garbage trucks. Careless drivers and over-filled loads spilling loose trash out of the back.

+1 about the garbage trucks — but also from uncovered garbage cans, or if animals get into the trash cans. I have a covered recycling bin, but many neighbors just have those buckets and empty water bottles can get blown out if they are full and it’s windy.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I cleaned up our block regularly when I lived in the city. Now that we're in the boring burbs, it's a non-issue.

Depends where you live in the city. NW DC is far cleaner than the rest. You don't see tons of litter in Kent.

I was in NWDC, but the high-density part. I think you'll find it anyplace that's a mix of commercial/residential, no matter which quadrant.

No actually, you really don't. Huge swaths of Ward 3 and parts of Ward 2 that are a quick 2-3 block walk to commerce on Connecticut / Wisconsin / Mass do not have litter.

The strictly commercial sections _previously_ had no litter, either, but there has been a small uptick where there are buildings now comprised of formerly unhoused voucher recipients on bits of Conn. and Wisc. But still very little.

I think those commercial areas just have a lot of privately funded clean up. The stores pay for it because it’s important to their business. There may well also be less litter there than other areas, but I think any public commercial zone that seems really clean is getting cleaned a lot. Litter picked up, sidewalks washed, etc.

What point are you trying to make? Whether the stores are paying or having staff do it, so be it. It makes a world of difference on the neighborhood to have store owners who care. Most store/land owners do not give a shit, which drags down an entire neighborhood.

DP, but I think the point that the pp is trying to make is that the presence or absence of litter has less to do with the quality and concerns of the neighbors, but more about the commercial property owners’ efforts. People are telling OP to move because litter indicates a lack of respect of her neighbors, but maybe that is irrelevant to the litter.

[Anonymous]

I live on a street that is leafy parkland but can be a cut-through and I think contractors or gross people are in the habit of throwing it out if they see other trash. When we first moved I did a big cleanup as I believe trash begets trash. After that I never had to clean it up like that again. Once in a while I see something like a bottle and will pick it up to put in my recycling when I throw it out but when you keep it clean it tends to stay clean. If it's not, I'd have to move- would make me too sad to live there.

[Anonymous]

Many moving parts to keep urban and commercial areas free of litter.

Certainly begins with local government officials caring, developing sustainable and fully funded solutions, and staying on top of it. Organized labor has to be looped in because it's muni workers or maybe public trans workers changing out bins. Local government usually has to press merchants and commercial RE owners to stay on top of litter abatement. Real estate investors are greedy people, so they aren't in the habit of spending money on additional labor unless it helps their bottom line. Munis can ticket business owners if the areas around their businesses fuel litter issues. And of course higher rung clientele around shops will avoid places which are gross and litter filled. But that probably circles back to local government; the clientele are local homeowners and they complain about businesses with trash and litter issues, because litter and trash blows in the wind and impacts the perception of a broader neighborhood. Government officials don't want the complaints or to get on the bad side of too many constituents. In an apathetic community, nobody cares; residents don't care, so government doesn't care, and shop owners and RE investors don't live in the downscale areas, so what do they care.

[Anonymous]

I've seen McDonald's employees out sweeping up litter in their parking lots. I wonder if that's something corporate encourages, franchise specific, or maybe local government nudges that? It makes a world of difference when the business community does things like that.

[Anonymous]

The people that place bags full of dog sh_t in random areas drive me insane. If you’re going to encapsulate your dogs sh_t in plastic for eternity at least find the garbage. We know you’re not coming back for it. In that case just let the dog sh_t wherever and stop leaving them lying around or hanging on a fence, at the entrance of your condo etc. F you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people that place bags full of dog sh_t in random areas drive me insane. If you’re going to encapsulate your dogs sh_t in plastic for eternity at least find the garbage. We know you’re not coming back for it. In that case just let the dog sh_t wherever and stop leaving them lying around or hanging on a fence, at the entrance of your condo etc. F you

Most bags now you can by disintegrate (or at least the dog bags I buy) but it is annoying for dog stuff to be left on its own or in a bag somewhere.

I still have neighbors who don’t pick up after their dogs which is really annoying as I live in an area with SFHs and know most of the neighbors. Bring multiple bags it isn’t hard! But people now are in their phones or send their kids on the phones or have their dog off leash (don’t get me started in this) and don’t see or don’t care.

So yes I have cameras and will text “ hey Mary Jo, here’s video of your dog in my lawn. Please come pick it up thanks!” I have small kids and it’s so annoying. We also have a dog so I think people think we’ll assume it’s our dog, but we pick up after ours and she’s only allowed outside in a all fenced area in the back and we check that! If she’s in the front we pick it up and she’s leashed.

[Anonymous]

I’m a regular plogger/litter collector. Have organized and won litter collection contests at work (in the suburbs).

I’d move.

[Anonymous]

PP above and I’m in Fairfax County. The trashiest places? Glad you asked - FCPS grounds (all) and rec centers.

I’ll start a blog!

[Anonymous]

Ugh and just now a dog pooped in my holly off leash! WTH people!!!

[Anonymous]

Many immigrants truly believe there are ‘lower’ people who go around and pick up trash. If your neighborhood has dozens of these immigrant families, it’ll be filthy in no time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why but litter in my neighborhood drives me insane. I can't recall my parents ever caring or making me do cleanups or anything. But I can't ignore it in our neighborhood. Plastic water and soda bottles, fast food bags, liquor containers, cans of beer, blunt and chip bags. We clean up the couple blocks around our home every weekend morning while walking the dogs. By Tuesday or Wednesday you can't even tell. I've never seen another neighbor get off their butt and help.

At our prior house, I would maybe encounter a single water bottle or two once a week. That was literally it.

I love our current house but I can't stand the litter. I'm fed up.

It’ll never get better. When you finally move to a clean neighborhood you’ll wish you had done it sooner. Nobody cares about your efforts right now. It’s a losing battle and a waste of life. Let the pigs steep in their filth.

[Anonymous]

That was one of the reasons we left Trinidad in 2010.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a regular plogger/litter collector. Have organized and won litter collection contests at work (in the suburbs).

I’d move.

I pick up small trash when I'm walking my dog. I'm already carrying a trash/poop bag - might as well put other stuff in it. Just never tissues or cigarette butts.