Tuesday, August 16, 2005
A college tradition that sucks
My Home Town is a college town, where mid August marks the end date for most student leases. Students clean (if that is the word) their apartments, move out, and move into other ones. We've all done major move-out cleanings, which often involve taking trash out to the curb. At some point in the history of my town, the college students were taught that it's okay to take trash out to the curb like this:
Not all college kids here seem to be totally unaware of the invention of the heavy duty trash bag. Yet scenes like this are repeated all over My Home Town.
Is there a college course called "Somebody will clean it up"?
To be sure, there is a thriving "trash picking" culture here. People bring usable items out to the curb the evening before garbage pickup, and a lot of stuff gets recycled that way. But the above scenes are obviously not part of that informal recycling culture. Most pizza boxes only get used once.
Trash picking? Maybe the dumbell weights. Maybe. But not the shoe.
At least these people seemed to be trying to make some sort of sculpture.
This has to be in violation of local littering laws. I'm toying with the idea of running for county DA here on a platform of sending these kids to jail!
**
Not all college kids here seem to be totally unaware of the invention of the heavy duty trash bag. Yet scenes like this are repeated all over My Home Town.
Is there a college course called "Somebody will clean it up"?
To be sure, there is a thriving "trash picking" culture here. People bring usable items out to the curb the evening before garbage pickup, and a lot of stuff gets recycled that way. But the above scenes are obviously not part of that informal recycling culture. Most pizza boxes only get used once.
Trash picking? Maybe the dumbell weights. Maybe. But not the shoe.
At least these people seemed to be trying to make some sort of sculpture.
This has to be in violation of local littering laws. I'm toying with the idea of running for county DA here on a platform of sending these kids to jail!
**
Comments:
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Your last photos have reinforced my 2o years of observations that there always seems to be an abundance of mops and brooms in the trash on moving day.
Also, I've never understood why the city doesn't hold the campus landlords responsible for all the trash on the curbs. Like the landlords don't known on August 15th that they're going to need extra trash containers? Hello, they are the ones wrote up the leases these people signed.
Also, I've never understood why the city doesn't hold the campus landlords responsible for all the trash on the curbs. Like the landlords don't known on August 15th that they're going to need extra trash containers? Hello, they are the ones wrote up the leases these people signed.
# posted by 
: 5:04 PM, August 16, 2005
: 5:04 PM, August 16, 2005
It must be all those anti-environment Repuglicans that dominate your town.
# posted by : 6:35 PM, August 16, 2005
: 6:35 PM, August 16, 2005
I've spent my time in college towns, but I've never seen moving days that bad. That totally sucks--I'd vote for you if you ran.
The odd sculpture is interesting though.
The odd sculpture is interesting though.
Having obtained 4 couches off of curbsides in Madison while in college, as well as an end table which contained several Nintendo Game Boy games inside (sold for a hefty profit), I think it's worth mentioning that this is a double edged sword.
The people who throw their actual "trash" on the lawn are reprehensible. But with it comes a great deal of furniture recycling.
The people who throw their actual "trash" on the lawn are reprehensible. But with it comes a great deal of furniture recycling.
Furniture recycling is one thing. What you show isn't very promising. Landlords should at least withhold rent deposits for cleanup when this happens.
# posted by : 8:33 AM, August 17, 2005
: 8:33 AM, August 17, 2005
Amazing. That brown couch looks just like one that I've recently awarded to the Salvation Army! No foolin' same material and all. No holes though.
Moral, I agree. The landlords have some responsibility for this mess by not providing an orderly way to dispose of student ruins. You law types should be able to come up some type of clause in the lease agreements to mitigate this mess.
# posted by : 6:22 PM, August 17, 2005
: 6:22 PM, August 17, 2005
Lola, that is my old couch. I'm sure of it. Look at that fabric. This has to be the one you made me put on the curb in 1996. It somehow survived until now. I really liked the way it went all the way to the floor so beer bottles wouldn't roll underneath and get lost. Sigh. Time appears to have taken it's toll. So long again, old friend.
I went to college in Madison, and those scenes are fairly typical. We recycled a couch once, and we witnessed a man walking from couch to couch, slicing holes in them so he could retrieve the spare change and other goodies that had become trapped inside.
# posted by : 8:21 PM, August 17, 2005
: 8:21 PM, August 17, 2005
Random10 are you sure that's your couch? Because I'm pretty sure it's my old couch. Of course, since I had it in 1997-98, I suppose it could be both of ours.
# posted by : 10:26 AM, August 19, 2005
: 10:26 AM, August 19, 2005
the sculpture is classic...however after 8 years in college this is not a tradition i have partaken or seen...maybe i live on the "wrong" side of town?
Wow... great blog!
Have a look at mine. It's about Buying New Car
Buying New Car
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Have a look at mine. It's about Buying New Car
Buying New Car
# posted by : 4:05 AM, January 10, 2006
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