October 8, 2014. My poor confused neighbor R.M.

At this point in my career as an amateur garbage collector (is it week 3 already?), I really should not be surprised by anything I find on 43rd Avenue. However, despite the fact that I have picked up a wide range of nasty goodies, up until last night I was still under the naïve belief that I would be safe from having to handle a stranger's underwear. Alas, here is the scene that greeted me:





And....



 



Here's a close-up of one of the labels, with the addressee's
 name and addy obscured.

I don't know how long this pile had been there. I usually only walk the Avenue on Saturdays and Sundays, because I don't have time to clean during the week and seeing garbage piles upsets me greatly. However, I guess I was feeling wild and crazy last night, because I took a chance and stole a glance down 43rd Avenue. Even in the dark from down the block, and despite my deteriorating visual acuity, I could see a big pile in the usual dumping spot. In addition to the underwear, there was a stack of cardboard boxes and a big trash bag full of what feels like paint cans. Interestingly, the boxes all had address labels still affixed. This makes me think that (1) the person who dumped these boxes  (R.M., the addressee?) really isn't very bright, or (2) maybe the boxes were stolen from R.M.'s front step and it was the thief who left the boxes on 43rd. But I don't think this is the case. The boxes were stacked somewhat neatly. If someone were going to steal boxes from someone's property, would they want to keep them stacked together? It seems more logical to dispose of them in separate places, or just toss them over the fence to the railroad tracks. My guess is that R.M. was considerate enough to try to keep his or her pile of crap more or less neat and in one place, because that would make things easier for the magic garbage fairy. (FWIW, I picture a garbage fairy looking like Courtney Love circa 1995: a hot mess, furious but in possession of an indomitable spirit and a pure heart. When people see her at work they say "Thank you! I love you for doing this" and she snarls back, "How do you know you can love me?" as she tosses another Styrofoam takeout  bucket into her garbage bag.)