I’m talking about actual trash here – paper cups, plastic bags, coffee lids, newspaper, etc. While Seattle is admittedly one of the cleaner U.S. cities I’ve lived in, there’s no denying we still have our share of litter. We also have a bit of unintentional litter. Stuff that blew out of the back of a truck on its way to the dump nearby. Or flew away from a construction site. Or ended up in your parking strip after the bi-monthly wind storm that knocks over a bunch of trash cans. No one really intended to litter, but the trash is still there.
The question is, who’s gonna pick it up?
I’ll tell you who… the nice guy over on Wallingford Ave who rides around on his bike policing the area every week with a couple of empty bags and a funny looking bike helmet. I actually know the guy but I haven’t asked for his permission, so I’m going to let him remain anonymous for now. I just want to say that I’ve seen him doing this regularly for over ten years and I really appreciate it. He’s inspired me, and after seeing an increase in trash on my street recently I’m pledging to help him out.
No, I’m not going to hop on my bike and ride all over the neighborhood on a trash hunt like my garbage hero. At least not yet. What I AM going to do is pledge to take a garbage walk, at least once a week, from Wallingford North to Burke Ave North on N 36th St – one block, both sides. If it’ll fit into a bag, I’m gonna pick it up and throw it into my cans. Anyone want to join me?
That’s a great idea! More power to you. May I suggest using one of those claw picker-uppers. That would be safer and better for your back. I’ve been limiting my litter pick up to in front of my house mostly.
Here in E. Wallingford we battle the “Crows of Dick’s Drive-In!” Much of the overnight trash from our favorite local burger maker gets carried around by the big black birds. I try to do some picking up while I walk my dog. Some days I’m better about it than others. Garbage morning is a good one since then I can just dump it in the can already at my curb. Since I’m already picking up after my dog — hands get washed when I walk in the door!
Glad others are interested. I just saw this dude doing it for years and I though he might need some help. I’m not obsessive about it but I’ve found that now that I’m looking, I see little things all the time. it’s pretty easy as I live and work on the same block so I’m ‘on the ground’ without a car a lot. That’s tough with the crows – I imagine street garbage is a bigger problem the closer you get to 45th or Stone.
My son is a student at JSIS. We live several blocks from school, and walk there and back. Last year I got into the habit of bringing along a plastic bag and a pair of garden gloves so I could pick up trash and recycling on my way home. Some passers-by thank me, others give me a strange look like they think I’m a bag lady. I report dead animals, plugged drains, and graffiti that I see to the appropriate City departments.
It just seems like the right thing to do. Am I collecting good karma? Sure. My neighborhood looks better, I feel better. Baby steps, but it’s something.
Maybe it’s my upbringing. I grew up in the country, my parents worked hard, and made sure we kept everything clean and in good repair. They knew how to stretch their $$ and yet they were also proud of their home and other possessions.
Anyway, next time you leave for a walk or ride, stuff a plastic bag in your pocket (now you can feel less guilty about having one in the house), grab a glove or two, and tidy up the ‘hood. Maybe your neighbor will stop to thank you.
What are the numbers for dead animals, plugged drains, and graffiti?
Here are the correct phone numbers for the city departments as of June 2009:
Plugged storm drain reporting: 386-1800
Dead animal reporting – Seattle Animal Shelter #, press 7: 386-7387
Grafitti on public property or long-term on private property: 684-7587
On-line form for grafitti reports: http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Garbage/KeepSeattleClean/Graffiti_Prevention_&_Removal/ReportGraffiti/
Bless you, Barb! Great idea to take a bag along with you on a walk.
Funny story: We had a dead squirrel on our walkway while we were gone on vacation in May. Our vegetarian daughter was told it would be 3 days before “dead animal” picker-uppers could come out to take it away. So, she took care of it and got a medal upon our return……”Double bagged”, per instructions from Animal Control, in the trash (which smelled pretty ripe when we got home).