"Sometimes I feel discouraged"

I like to believe that what I do (pick up litter, call 311 to report dumping, and maintain this whiney log of neighborhood filth) results in some small good. But when I was walking to the train this morning, I became increasingly sad with each step I took. The less-than-3-block walk from my dwelling place to the train station is always so full of litter that I can quickly fill a shopping bag, and it culminates in the filthiest sidewalk and gutter that I have ever seen in person (and I grew up in freakin' Flatbush).

 

 

How is this acceptable?!??

How did this become the norm?

How do people walk by in droves every day and not even blink? 

How do businesses operate 10 feet from this level of filth and not feel the slightest compulsion to clean up?

And why do people continue to patronize businesses, which, by not cleaning this curb, are giving a hearty Eff You to everybody who has to walk by (over/though) this rot?

Our Councilman has arranged for 20 weeks of increased Sanitation pick-up in this area. I do notice that the corner garbage can is usually empty enough to actually serve its purpose of being a viable litter depository (usually the few and far between neighborhood bins are overflowing at all times). In fact, this morning the corner can was completely empty- they must have just picked up when I came along. All of the contents you see in the trash can below were put there by me after my short walk down 74th Street to the Roosevelt Avenue train station. Actually, the large Modell's bag I used was overflowing by the time I reached the end of the 2nd block. Really, really depressing.

Can contents = litter collected on one side of 74th Street between 43rd and Roosevelt

 

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Below is a photo of some local politician's (?) or maybe a Sanitation official's (?) or Mall exec's (?) idea of a joke: paper and bottle recycling cans outside the Queens Center Mall. This would be well and good if there were also several TRASH cans (or one really big one). But for whatever reason, there are only these recycling cans. Is it any wonder that people have taken to using them as trash cans? And that they are overflowing? The Queens Center Mall is one of the most heavily trafficked malls in the USA. Yet despite the fact that people spend obscene amounts of money on the crap-food and synthetic-fibered clothing purveyed therein, the mall does not see fit to arrange for its patrons to have access to a simple ol' garbage can. There are trash cans inside, but what about outside? There are hordes of people outside the mall at all times, many of them going to or coming from the mall. Of course they are going to produce trash. What do you think happens to all those Pretzelmaker wrappers? You got it: they end up shoved in one of the recycling bins, and when the bins overfloweth, on the sidewalk.

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With the garbage cans overflowing, or not even present, where is one to dispose of their trash? Why, right on 43rd Avenue of course!----yes, even if your "trash" is actually a bizarrely-contained collection of bodily fluids. Anything goes on 43rd, right?

43rd Avenue. Nov 2, 2014
Thankfully this had been run over so most of the contents were gone, but there was
enough leftover for me to quickly identify it as a good old Elmhurst water balloon. Yep.

43rd Avenue. Nov 2, 2014
Canada Dry bucket o' liquid gold (mislabeled "Seltzer Water")

 

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Meanwhile, my friends the smokers were up to their usual activities this weekend. Actually, I found their leftovers on Woodside and 74th; I guess they had to move from their usual location (behind the abandoned corner building on 43rd). I think it's because the house next door to the abandoned building started turning on a big floodlight that shines right down on the alley where I discovered the Ziploc bag of blunt remnants last week.

 

Woodside Avenue and 74th Street. Nov 3, 2014