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Old 01-25-2012, 10:31 AM
 
79 posts, read 230,432 times
Reputation: 60

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Everywhere I look, there's trash flying around or tucked in street corners in PILES!!! DD Styrofoam cups are the biggest culprit, but there are also Metro papers, household items, etc., all strewn about no matter where I go. Along highways are worse, where, in the middle of traffic, I can almost always count on someone tossing his empty cup on the side of the road, or worse, all the trash in his car as I witnessed a couple of nights ago. To my dismay, no one else sitting in traffic seemed bothered by this.

Why is Boston so damn filthy? It can't be because it's a city or because it's old, I come from an old European much bigger city, and it's nowhere near this trashy. I've even gotten into arguments with people on the T, in Boston, headed to work in the Financial District all decked out in their suits who dump their newspapers on the floor or leave their empty DD cups on the floor/chair on their way out, where they'll most likely pass a trashcan, and most look like at me like I'm the crazy one.

I'm starting to believe it's just plain laziness that comes with that sense of entitlement from old money and Ivy League grads. Don't people take pride in where they live here?

After making the rudest, worst drivers, and worst dressed lists, I wouldn't be surprised if Boston also made the filthiest cities' next.
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Old 01-25-2012, 11:30 AM
 
7,235 posts, read 7,003,130 times
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I think attributing the "old money and Ivy League" stereotype just about any cultural happening is misguided--do you understand what a tiny percentage of the population people who fall into that category are? Hint: very, very tiny.
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Old 01-25-2012, 11:36 AM
 
7,235 posts, read 7,003,130 times
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That said, yes, I notice this too--I just don't attribute it to any one group, be it age, ethnicity, class, etc. Some people are just pigs.

I tend bar and you wouldn't believe how often people come in with a coffee cup or other trash and just leave it on the bar. Not even ask me to throw it away (which is still weird, why not get rid of it before you enter) but just like, leave it there. Uh, thanks?
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:17 PM
 
7,912 posts, read 7,739,485 times
Reputation: 4146
Europe isn't dirty? Remember when France found bombs in their trash cans in the mid 90's? They clamped down the trash cans and told people to put the trash next to it. At night they'd flood the streets and the trash would end up in sewer grates. I know that because I was there.

So now they changed it to this
The Garbage Genius of Paris | Planetizen



Ok so it is cheap but seriously does this solve the image issue?

Is there trash around the place? Yes. But we've made great strives with recycling and waste in general. You might have an argument with the T being dirty but that gets pretty obvious after awhile.
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:36 PM
 
Location: somewhere over the rainbow
91 posts, read 279,331 times
Reputation: 90
Dude, be careful arguing with people on the T - you could get stabbed! Bostonians are notoriously angry and aggressive people.

You are making a mountain out of a mole hill, seriously. If trash bothers you so much, go live in the suburbs.

And you also didn't specify what parts of Boston are exposing you to this trash. Boston is a HUGE area and yes, some parts are less desirable than others. If you're near a T stop - thousands of people commute daily and I am sure that a few of them are not as tidy as you are. But I am also sure that the majority aren't the offenders.

Time to take a chill pill and relax...........or get a job with the sanitation department. Then you could make sure that it's all getting taken care of....
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Old 01-25-2012, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Purgatory
2,615 posts, read 5,377,851 times
Reputation: 3099
Quote:
Originally Posted by TX transplant View Post
Everywhere I look, there's trash flying around or tucked in street corners in PILES!!! DD Styrofoam cups are the biggest culprit, but there are also Metro papers, household items, etc., all strewn about no matter where I go. Along highways are worse, where, in the middle of traffic, I can almost always count on someone tossing his empty cup on the side of the road, or worse, all the trash in his car as I witnessed a couple of nights ago. To my dismay, no one else sitting in traffic seemed bothered by this.

Why is Boston so damn filthy? It can't be because it's a city or because it's old, I come from an old European much bigger city, and it's nowhere near this trashy. I've even gotten into arguments with people on the T, in Boston, headed to work in the Financial District all decked out in their suits who dump their newspapers on the floor or leave their empty DD cups on the floor/chair on their way out, where they'll most likely pass a trashcan, and most look like at me like I'm the crazy one.

I'm starting to believe it's just plain laziness that comes with that sense of entitlement from old money and Ivy League grads. Don't people take pride in where they live here?

After making the rudest, worst drivers, and worst dressed lists, I wouldn't be surprised if Boston also made the filthiest cities' next.
What city are you from in Europe? I'm European to. I don't find Boston to be dirty at all. The T is pretty clean and Boston does not have the kind of graffiti you find in cities like Paris and Amsterdam.

The driving...yeah, I agree that driving in Boston is not fun, especially the tendency of motorists to get right up your rear end at high speed. I never drive into the city.
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Old 01-25-2012, 01:15 PM
 
Location: a bar
2,710 posts, read 6,075,106 times
Reputation: 2945
The streets and sidewalks to get a little littered up during the winter months. I always attributed it the fact there is no street cleaning during the winter months.
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Old 01-25-2012, 02:09 PM
miu
 
Location: MA/NH
17,759 posts, read 40,019,201 times
Reputation: 18039
Quote:
Originally Posted by TX transplant View Post
I'm starting to believe it's just plain laziness that comes with that sense of entitlement from old money and Ivy League grads. Don't people take pride in where they live here?
Actually, all of the trash tossers that I've seen are those from low income households. Also cigarette smokers seem to toss more than just their cigarette butts on the ground.

And if anything, the well educated tend to be diligent sorts that make sure that their rubbish goes into the right trash and recycle receptacles.

And old money and Ivy Leaguers may work in Boston but they mostly live in the suburbs like Newton and Wellesley. And if you visit those haunts, you will see that there is very little trash on the ground. But go to low rent neighborhoods like Roxbury and Mattapan, and the streets are even more littered than in Boston.
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Old 01-25-2012, 02:16 PM
 
23,088 posts, read 18,228,806 times
Reputation: 10641
Quote:
Originally Posted by miu View Post
But go to low rent neighborhoods like Roxbury and Mattapan, and the streets are even more littered than in Boston.
Roxbury and Mattapan even more littered than Boston? LMAO!
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Old 01-25-2012, 03:41 PM
 
4,423 posts, read 7,331,663 times
Reputation: 10934
Dirtiest European city I've ever been in was Amsterdam. It smelled like pis and it was graffiti covered. As far as Boston being littered, so much for the bottle bill, huh? lol
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