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Every day I walk to the subway down franklin ave (from st.marks to eastern parkway) and everyday I notice it is getting more and more covered in trash and broken glass bottles. The areas with small shops aren't so bad, but everywhere else is a mess! Does anyone notice the same trend/ know why this is going on???
Brooklynian » Forum » Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens »
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Because people in the neighborhood who walk down Franklin Ave. use the street as a litter basket. The store owners have to sweep in front of their places or else risk a $50 sanitation fine. And they have to sweep 18 inches into the street. Everyplace else is a "no man's land" and people just don't give a damn.
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Do you think that the neighborhood would respond to a clean up day? or are we getting WAY ahead of ourselves for this hood?
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Clean up days have just begun to become a regular feature on Washington, and can largely be credited the work of Heart of Brooklyn and the Washington Avenue Prospect Heights Association
Related photo:
Related thread:
http://brooklynian.com/forum/prospect-heights/washington-ave-is-dirtyFranklin Avenue also has a merchants association, and an org known as Crow Hill Association I perceive them as being right on the cusp of being able to pull off regular street cleanings:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Avenue-Merchants/125330170861779
Relying on the city to empty to overflowing trash cans does not seem a valid strategy, nor does it help to discourage litter.
The associations may need to do what many other groups have reluctantly done: Buy trash cans which the merchants then "voluntarily" empty.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
Yep. Heart of Brooklyn and the Washington Avenue Prospect Heights Association do great things for the neighborhood and then idiots continue to dump litter everywhere. Washington was full of trash 2 days after their last clean up day.
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I did a cleanup on Franklin Avenuea few times. It cleans it for that hour but that's about it.
That said, I think the avenue is way cleaner than it used to be. Less empty stores is the biggest reason but also fewer take out places and more sit down places. I think that more stores should do what Pulp and Bean does and put their own personal trash can in front of their stores. I often walk blocks and blocks with trash in my hand before finding a trash can - some people won't walk as far before ditching it. If there was a place to throw it away more often it might help.
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Related to this topic, what do people think is a proper and respectful response to witnessing someone litter?
I can't stop myself from staring but have caught myself thinking that even this might be an act of aggression or be considered condescending.
Last year in Lower Manhattan, after witnessing an older teen tear off parts of his paycheck and throw them on the ground, I pointed out to that he was dropping trash on the ground. His boss came over to me and started screaming that I was being disrespectful. I found the whole exchange to be quite confusing and frustrating.It appears that most people take the approach of seeing nothing saying nothing which I find counter-intuitive to being part of a community.
in the thick of it -
I don't think it's worth the possibility of someone taking a swing at you over littering. And if you're going to complain about that, then complain about jaywalking too. Both minor annoyances but still they both show a lack of courtesy. In any event, there's not much you can do because people think that the street sweepers or the shop owners that have to clean in front of their stores will take care of it.
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Littering drives me crazy on residential streets where there is litterally a garbage can in front of every home. Why can't you just stick your trash in one of the 100 cans you've passed on your way from one corner to the other? At least on commercial strips you can argue there isn't a garbage can when you need one, but on a residential street there's really no excuse.
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I suspect that littering is a way for those who are not proud of their own homes to show contempt for the more fortunate.
In a sense, one could argue that is is a form of "political speech", and thus constitutionally protected conduct... Although I imagine that city and state criminal courts would quickly reject such arguments.
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I always have to give a little bittersweet chuckle when someone throws trash on the ground when they're literally standing next to a rubbish bin. I've actually gotten nasty looks from people when I see them do that, then pick up their trash and throw it away for them. Hilarious.
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booklaw said:
I suspect that littering is a way for those who are not proud of their own homes to show contempt for the more fortunate.In a sense, one could argue that is is a form of "political speech", and thus constitutionally protected conduct... Although I imagine that city and state criminal courts would quickly reject such arguments.
That's a thought, but I think such political expression would make more sense if litters left their own neighborhood more. As it is, they just seem to disrespect their present neighborhood.
As a result, I've concluded that some people are rude no matter what neighborhood they are in, and/or have settled for "sticking it to their fellow man", when they would like to "stick it to THE man."
...I've also heard the argument that littering is a some times subconscious way to stop gentrification, but I don't feel it is well thought out or effective. Such "logic" fails to recognize that wealthy people have business improvement districts and merchant associations.
As a result, littering to hurt others is like dressing badly to show that you hate your job. ...you only hurt yourself.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
It has nothing to do with gentrification. I think it has to do with responsibility/maturity. I don't think that anyone who has ever had a job cleaning up after other people litters. I do think that people that have never had to clean up other's messes don't realize, understand or care about the work they are making for others.
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PragmaticGuy said:
I don't think it's worth the possibility of someone taking a swing at you over littering. And if you're going to complain about that, then complain about jaywalking too. Both minor annoyances but still they both show a lack of courtesy. In any event, there's not much you can do because people think that the street sweepers or the shop owners that have to clean in front of their stores will take care of it.Jaywalking shows a lack of courtesy? If you do it when cars are coming and they have to stop, that's rude (and dangerous) but if no one is coming, I'm not seeing how it affects anyone else...
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vaportrail said:
Related to this topic, what do people think is a proper and respectful response to witnessing someone litterI don't get littering, either. When I see someone do it, I usually say, "Excuse me, you dropped something." Maybe it's passive aggressive, but then so is using your neighborhood as a trashcan.
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I find some of these thoughts on littering as a political statement humorous. I work in Midtown east and the litter would be out of control if there weren't people working the sidewalks and emptying trash receptacles throughout the day. Bottom lines is that littering is an accepted aspect of life for SOME in this city on streets with lots of businesses.
I personally think that much of the trash strewn about is the result of it being summer. Regardless, the city should focus on providing a better means of trash disposal along busy streets in predominantly residential neighborhoods. Even along 7th and 5th Ave in Park Slope litter is a problem during certain times of the year. Trash cans should only be at the point of overflowing in extraordinary circumstances.
Also, maybe the cops standing around can start writing tickets for littering. That's a perfectly legitimate and easy way of adding to the city's coffers and a good way to discourage such behavior in the long run.
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I like your idea about ticketing litterers!
But I suspect that we would soon see the streets littered with littering tickets...
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Also, we have to remember that the City is actually removing trash cans from commercial strips because they believe it decreases litter.
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While I would love for the city to step up and provide enforcement and/or additional trashcans, I think savvy business districts (ones that want to attract and retain customers) will suck it up, put out their own trashcans, and/or pick up the litter.
As a result of other businesses districts doing this, the city city may have figured out that it can reduce the standard of services it provides across the city.
...while the city is certainly stating that reducing trashcans reduces litter, and it certainly stops people putting their household trash in said containers, the actual results are mixed.
...it it takes much effort, people won't comply.
For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor. -
You used to be able to just call 311 and request a garbage can for a corner. They would only put it on commercial streets. This was only a couple of years ago, has this changed? I got one for the corner of Vanderbilt and Bergen because I was tired of crossing the street to just toss dog poop. Lazy, yes, but they put one there with no problem then and it was certainly used by more than me.
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