One of the major hazards of walking around the streets of New York with a camera looking for things to photograph, especially in my neighborhood, is that you aren't paying attention to the ground beneath your feet. Last week I stepped in it, and boy was I pissed.
I really don't understand the kind of anti-social behavior that leads people to take their dogs out, watch the dog do its business in the middle of the sidewalk, then quietly walk away knowing that some little kid or little old lady is likely to step in it. Or anybody, for that matter.
And what exactly does it mean to "curb your dog?" I had to look it up. It definitely does not mean that you can allow your dog to poop as long as it's on or near the curb. It apparently comes from a more archaic meaning of the word, which is to control or to constrain. So it really means control your dog and do NOT allow it to poop on the streets, or clean up after it if it does, at least in NYC, which has a "pooper scooper law" passed in the late 1970s - apparently with much outraged opposition!
Unfortunately the law is difficult to enforce, and depends a lot on the good will of the people - good luck with that around here. Although most dog owners are in fact responsible, good-willed human beings, a small percentage in such a densely populated area adds up to a lot of stuff to look out for.
Update: 9/2/2011
I just finished reading the entirety of the articles linked above on pooper scooper laws , and boy the author is a real jerk. It's a Q&A series by a dog lover with a persecution complex. He has no answer for anyone who wants to know what can be done about all the crap on the streets of their neighborhood, other than just deal with it, get over it, stop hating dogs. And if you "don't like" dogs, maybe you should go live somewhere else. The Times paid this guy?
I love dogs, the dog owners sometimes not so much...
Update II: 9/2/2011
Happened again this evening... grrr
Hey Mike,
ReplyDeleteIm with you, I love dogs but don't like people that have no respect for anyone else and lets there dog poop on the street without picking it up. I have a dog here in London and we never leave home without poop bags, its just the proper thing to do. I say we stalk the people that don't pick up there dogs poop and collect it and send it back to them... throwing is a thought but I say leaving it by the owners front door is another way.
Agreed. I used to have dogs, and poop bags. Its not so difficult is it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe we should stalk them, as Gerry said, but take photos of them, and send photos to local press for shaming possibilties.
Unfortunately they're pretty sneaky about it. Maybe when I retire and I turn into one of those people who sit and stare out the window all day, I'll set up a camera and a telephoto and turn into the local pooper scooper enforcer :-)
ReplyDelete