Saturday, April 19, 2008

Spring is in the air

What a beautiful day! The city swept our street yesterday. The birds are singing. The sun is shining. Life is good.
I dusted off my little wagon. Grabbed a couple of trash bags. And hit the streets.
In no time at all I filled the two bags with Dunkin Donuts cups and bags, soda cans, beer cans, cigarette boxes and wrappers, candy wrappers, empty potato chip bags, Nips, etc. I walked down Tower to Huntington, to West Boylston and back up Boardman. My wagon was heavy. My feet were dirty. I must have torn a small hole in my plastic glove but tried convincing myself that the liquid covering my hand was my own sweat and not the random liquids found in the numerous bottles and bags of God knows what that I had picked up.
As I made my way up Boardman I realized that that is where I really should have started.
I walked up the hill feeling defeated. Wishing there was some kind of magical vacuum that would suck up all this trash.
A lady stopped to say she recognized me from last summer, and that she really does appreciate what I do. That was nice.
Tomorrow I'll start on Boardman.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

IF THE PEOPLE OF WORCESTER DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CITY ENOUGH TO HELP WITH YOUR PLEE. IT IS PROBABLY A LOST CAUSE. IN OTHER TOWNS WHERE LITTER IS A PROBLEM CAMERAS WERE INSTALLED WHY DON'T YOU COLLECT MONEY FROM RESIDENTS TO BUY CAMERAS?

Christina Roberts said...

Oh, it definitely is a lost cause. I don't deny that. I don't think we'll ever see a day where there is no litter in the city.
But, I refuse to give up hope.

Worcester does have cameras. But they are used for areas in the city much worse than my neighborhood.

Christina Roberts said...

Oh, and if I asked my neighbors for money for cameras they'd probably all laugh at me.

Want to be the first to donate??

FreeArtWorcester said...

Cameras don't solve anything. Ask anyone who has lived in England, where Big Brother is EVERYWHERE and gun crime is rising in a country where guns are illegal.

Instead of asking our neighbors to donate money for cameras why not just ask them to help clean up? Maybe people are not discussing it enough like so many other issues.

LOVE this blog and plan to link it to our blog! Thanks for keeping this blog it's great!

Spread the word!

Christina Roberts said...

FreeArt,
Did you read the article in the T&G about the cameras? If I remember correctly, they were able to catch a few people.

But I agree, for the most part, the cameras are not an effective way to stop litter.

It's up to us. We have to start caring. We really can make a difference. Everyone doesn't need to get as crazy as me (going out and picking up all around the neighborhood, taking pictures and blogging about it like the nutcase I am)
Just picking up things as we walk from our car to our front door. Or participating in an Earth Day clean up for one Saturday. Or making a phone call to the city to report a problem area. Or the best, make a personal pledge to not litter, ever.

FreeArtWorcester said...

No, missed the article in the T&G.

Just think that since cameras will catch only a FEW people the $$$ could be better spent buying trashcans for corners in our neighborhoods!

Nutcase or not ;) you are doing your part to spread a positive message, THANK YOU!!!

Christina Roberts said...

You're welcome.
and thank YOU!

I had sent an email to my city councilor last summer asking how the city decided where to place trash cans. He never responded.
I think it's time to start bugging him again.

FreeArtWorcester said...

Nice one! Everyone start writing!