Hey DPW!! What do we have to do to get some litter cans around here?
Southeast doesn't exactly have a reputation as being one of the cleanest quadrants of the district. I was familiar with that long before I purchased my home so I wasn't exactly unprepared.
What they don't mention is that in addition to the surplus of litter there is a deficit of litter cans.
Coincidence? I think not.
I experienced this first hand while walking my little 4 legged pal. Nothing brings the lack of litter cans to your attention like when you are forced to carry a little plastic bag of dog poop 4 blocks in 90 degree heat! Even on busy streets with lots of foot traffic and bus stops there were NO litter cans. Perfect example is Mellon Street SE. This is a long street about 3 blocks long lined with moderate and large size rental properties there are also at least 3 bus stops on the street but not 1 litter can. I was coming up the 400 b/o Newcomb Street one day (with my poop) - I had to carry that poop up Newcomb Street over to Mellon Street to a litter can MLK. No one can say I am not committed to keeping our streets dog poop free! LOL.
One has to ask what exactly do the folks in DPW expect ordinary folk to do with their empty chip bags, water bottles and little (put highly potent) bags of dog poop? Not to mention your die hard litter bugs who don't think twice of throwing their tall boy or empty chicken wing box into the street.
You would think that the powers that be at DPW would realize that more litter cans = less litter and less litter = less service calls for street and sidewalk cleaning. Another example of the city's flawed philospophy to treat the symptoms (albeit poorly) instead of solving the root problem.
Many concerned neighbors have been doing their part to combat the tidal wave of discarded BBQ chip bags, Heineken bottles, Styrofoam containers, drug baggies etc. by tying trash bags onto their fences.
While this work around is not the MOST attractive it is based purely out of desperation. Litter cans are what is DESPERATLY needed. Many, many, many requests have been made to DPW (even all the way up the chain to Director Howland) and the response is always the same.
"We don't install litter cans in residential areas" , which besides making no logical sense isn't even true because not only is is contrary to what is posted on the DPW website but a neighborhood group (Concerned Citizens of Oakwood Street) was able to petition to have 4 litter cans installed at bus stops (which btw happened to be in residential areas) . The request was made to Assistant Chief Groomes (gotta love her) on a list serve and 2 days later there were litter cans at the bus stops. Ever since the litter cans have been installed at those bus stops the litter problem in the immediate area has almost been totally abated.
Unsurprisingly calls and emails to Councilman Barry's office have gone unanswered.
One wonders about this "NEW WARD 8" that Barry has been preaching about in all his campaign materials. I personally would be fine with the "old ward 8" as long as it had some "new and improved" leadership.
Just my 2 cents. :)
I can almost see the day with the glad bags will be gone replaced by bright and shiny brown steel litter cans. I have a dream!
MELLON STREET SE
