Today’s photo is unfortunately of a trash pile strewn over Hanover Street and the historic North End Freedom Trail. “This is why garbage should not be put out overnight, says resident and business owner Damien DiPaola who shares the scene from Friday morning. “We need to have garbage out the morning of pickup, after 5 a.m,” he says in support of the Same Day Trash Pickup initiative.
“Neighborhood Photo” is a regular feature on NorthEndWaterfront.com. Did you take an interesting photo in or around Boston’s North End / Waterfront? Have it featured by emailing it to info@northendwaterfront.com. Please include a title, date taken and a sentence or two describing the photo.
Gross. Someone from the city should go through it, find an address and issue a fine. Does that even happen anymore?
On my way walking to the “T” to go to work in the morning, I would see big holes poked into the middle of the of bags and thought to myself, “Those d*** trash pickers.” They are to blame for leaving all of this trash strewn all over the street. Until one day I saw with my own two eyes, seagulls poking holes into the trash bags and pulling whatever out of the bags. I don’t know what the solution can be, but there is enough share and blame to go all around.
The solution is for residents to properly dispose of their garbage with two-ply trash bags, as mandated by the city. That includes properly bagging recycling, not leaving boxes and paper bags to be blown all over the neighborhood! Leaving garbage on the sidewalks in plastic or paper grocery bags or flimsy kitchen bags invites rats, seagulls and trash pickers to make a bad situation worse. It’s up to responsible landlords to explain and enforce these rules. If they are unable or unwilling to do so, then they should be reported. Concerned neighbors should call Boston Code Enforcement at (617) 635-4896 to report any and all trash violations.
What this picture really says is that there are just people among us who simply do not care, period! Whether it be plastic bags dumped on a sidewalk, litter thrown onto the sidewalk or street and even in he Charles River. It used to be a lot worse with cans & bottles along with just about anything else but most people today have good environmental sense. Having said that, the pigs will always be with us.
Everyone needs to step up and agree to the trash being put out in the morning between 6 AM and 9AM which will reduce the incidence of people throwing trash all over the street or animals of all kinds getting into trash. There will be people saying they don’t wake up that early or create whatever excuse possible not to go along with this and they just need to find a way to get their trash out in the morning or maybe even try to extend the time to 10 am. I have seen trash being put out on Salem St Friday night for Monday morning pick up. It is irresponsible of the residents who do this. It’s a simple solution to the problem that has plagued the North End for a very long time. It may not be a perfect solution for everyone, but nothing ever is. At least it would help rid rodents getting into trash overnight and drunken, irresponsible college students from throwing it all over the neighborhood. Our streets would be so much cleaner. Also, business owners need to take responsibility making sure that ALL their trash is properly placed in barrels. Not just half of it in barrels and the other half on the street. If the residents have to step up so shouldn’t the businesses to make this work.
The trash is an absolute DISGRACE, and I ask all of you, what the hell is the CITY doing
about it? People only get away with what you allow them to get away with. We need
City Inspectors walking our streets after the trash trucks leave the neighborhood and on the
weekends, like Sunday Morning. What an insult to the intelligence, over 20 years of
struggling with TRASH, NOISE, & OUT & OUT DISRESPECT. Why aren’t our Politicians,
who we voted for stepping up to the plate? What the hell are they doing? THE GREEN
TICKETS AREN’T WORKING. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER 20 YEARS FOR ANOTHER
SOLUTION? All you Politicians we voted for, we voted for you because we thought you were
strong enough to handle the job, NOW DO IT, OR GIVE YOUR POSITION UP and let
somebody who can do it take your place, please. The trash violators are always in front of the
same buildings, $25. ticket, what a joke.
I would like to share a story with you about what happened in the N.E. a week ago. My husband took ten people from out of state for dinner to a restaurant on Hanover St., five of the people smoked so they went outside for a cigarette. Two guys approached them and said they were collecting money for the wounded soldiers, one of the guys gave these junkies/low life five dollars instead of walking away they gave them a hard time saying that’s only a dollar from each of you can’t you do any better. As they were saying that my husband walked outside and saw these guys and said HEY WHAT’S GOING ON and they ran down Hanover St. Its so sad you go to a great restaurant and have a wonderful meal and this is what happens. How do you think my husband felt he won’t take anyone out to dinner in the N.E. for a while now, there are too many other restaurants outside of the N.E. to go to and not get treated like this. Another thing most of our friends own restaurants in the N.E. and he likes to take his friends to each of their restaurants. I was the third generation to live in the N.E. I don’t know what’s happening there but the people need help. People told me there is one cop that walks Hanover St. that is sooo ridiculous. There should be at least four or five to cover that street. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if their were more cops. I know in Rhode Island the store owners pay the cops extra detail maybe the restaurant owners in the N.E. should get together and do the same thing. The N.E. needs HELP because these low life people need to be taught a lesson. Good luck with your garbage problem its really a shame how the N.E. turned out instead of getting better its getting worse. Take a lesson from Canada its so clean you can eat off the streets. I will always love the N.E. but I’m glad I don’t live their anymore. I just couldn’t take what is going on there, it seems like no one wants to help, everything is falling on deaf ears.
This story is not indigenous to the North End. I have encountered similar situation outside Abe & Louie’s.
I have also encountered it in numerous other cities around the country. The fact that it goes on everywhere doesn’t make it any better. However, this is an isolated example of a personal experience. I happen to eat out a lot due to my work requirements and I must say that, if anything, there are fewer incidences of this type of behavior in the North End than any other part of the city.
No offense lady, but your friends aren’t very smart for giving lowlifes money… People take advantage of situations and this is unfortunately one of them. If they wanted to donate, there are several reputable foundations they could donate to. And I agree with Flash in that there are less incidents in the NE than other parts of the city.
That’s freedom for ya. The smiley face on the bag wishing everyone to “Have a nice day” was a nice touch. Looks like the dumped their mail in there too. Should be easy to get the address of the culprit.
The North End needs some of the Downtown Crossing Ambassadors:
“A team of 30 Ambassadors are on the street to address cleaning issues such as litter, weeds, and graffiti. Additionally, power washing services are provided through a relationship with a well respected Boston social serivce provider, Project Place. The power washing component is directly overseen and managed by Block by Block. Hospitality Ambassadors are also on the street seven days per week to actively engage the public to serve as a welcoming presence…”
http://blockbyblock.com/our-cities/boston/ma/downtown-boston-business-improvement-district