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I would never want to live with a home that has sidewalks... not because of prestige but because of liability... someone trip and falls on your sidewalk and you are liable even if its their fault... there are actual horror stories of just that... no sidewalks thank you...
If someone trips on your sidewalk, it's the city's problem...
but you're right about people wanting to sue over the stupidest things, usually their own fault..
Wow is this a panic button issue or what. Why talk about Prestige and poor old cement when there is something far, far more interesting.
Actually I had my old pup trained to dump in a small scoop I carried. Was such a thrill. Folks always had to comment whenever they saw it in action. She would go into the squat, if not on the leash, would come over close and look up, I just stuck the scoop into the proper position. Never touched the dirt. No muss, no fuss, carry a small plastic bag and it was over in a flash. Make the evolution fun.
That I think was a prime example of Prestige. We were certainly the class act on the block, sidewalk or no, made no difference. Did you ever notice that special look they get in the eyes??? Every so often, I think she may have said "Ah" afterwards. They do prefer grass but my neighbor across the street had her's trained to go to a special spot in a lil wooded area. One of my present neighbor's has his pup trained, she will only go in the woods.
The dumb ones are the peeps, not the pups. They will do what you train them to do.
I'm not sure you are always responsible if somebody falls on your sidewalk. I've heard they must prove it was a fault that could have been prevented.
Be interesting to see what all the lawyers sezs.
If someone trips on your sidewalk, it's the city's problem...
but you're right about people wanting to sue over the stupidest things, usually their own fault..
Depends on where you are. Where my mother lived in PA the walks were in the Town right of way but the property owner was responsible for upkeep including repair. Here where I am it's somewhat nebulous, case law goes both ways.
I grew up with sidewalks, and now live in the vast-sidewalkless McMansion wasteland. It was a mistake. Don't get me wrong - I love my house. I love my large large yard. However, many other things - I do not like - one of them being the lack of sidewalks. I have noticed that without sidewalks - pedestrians (family's with children on bikes, dogs, wagons, etc..) claim the entire street. The 11yr old skate board phenom across the street - claims the street. AND - it still does not keep the dog walker's canines out of my yard.
At least with sidewalks, there was a regular path for people to take - out of traffic. Plus, I love the trees that are planted below the sidewalk to shade the street.
We tried to do that here (plant trees near the street to provide shade) and our uptight neighbors convinced the HOA to force us to remove them.
Plus, to me - it looks much less prestigiuos without sidewalks. We just have a swale, and no curbs, so the grass ends unevenly at the asphalt. Much less attractive than a nice neat sidewalk.
Oh well... to each their own. I'm a sidewalk lover. Next house, I'll put it higher on my list of "wants" as it was a mistake this time to consider it superfluous.
The thinking comes because of exactly the reason you give: you find it more pleasant to walk your dog in a sidewalked neighborhood, and so do those who don't pick up after their dogs. Thus, sidewalks encourage lawns to become potties for the dogs of those who find it so much more pleasant to walk their dogs in neighborhoods sidewalks than without them.
One thing puzzled me here - you say that you promptly pick it up if your dog takes a dump in someone's hard, and that you try to get them to do so between the sidewalk and the street. Do you promptly pick it up then? If not, why not? It's still someone else's property, and anyone getting out of a car by the road is likely to step in it. And, what is your dog doing in someone's yard in the first place, rather than on the sidewalk with you?
Of course I still pick it up there and anywhere they go. We carry dog baggies. FYI I've even come back and picked up one later where I knew we left one, as I lost the bag. One of my dogs doesn't take dumps when out on a walk...he goes in his own yard where again I pick it up. (To be precise in 2 and a half years he's gone twice on walks) Both my dogs are under 10 lbs so easy pickings
I realize the space between the sidewalk and street is still someones property just seems less gross if they go there rather than on the other side. I try to steer them to that side for their numerous pissing contests. Where I live and anywhere else I've ever been you are not required to keep your dog strictly on the sidewalk
The point is that people should be picking up their dogs dumps and we have some real pigs not doing so in my current hood. I just came across a sidewalk the other day where someone let their dog crap right on the sidewalk and left it laying there...nice Thought it was tree bark at first.
Please dispense with the Cats supply companionship as well, and can be trained to flush or at least use a litterbox. Some of us get beyond unconditional appreciation of the first few months of life, and appreciate when some measure of semi-adult independence occurs, including toilet training.
I don't deny that dogs serve useful purposes and that some folks love 'em to death, but the ones who let 'em poop on other folks yards make me wonder sometimes. My family had a dog when I was a kid. I cleaned up after it or had to mow through it. For some reason, unconditional love was extended to the one who filled the food bowl. I got that figured out pretty quick. We had neighbors that moved in out back and their dog used the area I had set out on our family's property as a croquet yard and badminton court as a bathroom. That dam dog was a poop machine and my parents didn't care. It effectively halted those idyllic backyard games and friends coming over.
You may see your pet as a floppy eared wonder - I see him as an expensive food and garbage eating machine designed to emit alarm calls in the night when a squirrel moves, shed hair, burn holes in lawns, hump legs, and extrude logs designed to stink and attract flies. I do savor those moments when he rolls over and plays dead. If you keep him on a leash, and pick up his poo, then I would consider you a good neighbor and appreciate that you care for him and I would tolerate him without any problem. Just understand I'm not going to give him doggie kisses.
Don't misunderstand. I think what the "dog whisperer" does with dogs is nothing short of amazing, and is a highly intelligent way of having dogs, even if you do have to think like a dog to reach it. I wouldn't mind owning a dog that held the type of rapport that he can evoke out of them and their owners. However, just about all dog owners I've met fall far short of that standard.
Nothing wrong with cats...I had a few earlier in life. I waited until I was ready to take on the responsibility of dogs. When all is said and done I prefer them over cats, but they are like little people with fur and the small ones are cling ons and demanding lap time companions.
I'm sorry you haven't met more people who are responsible dog owners!
Weird, I never associated the lack of sidewalks with prestige.
Me, either...our neighborhood in a large metro is one conspicuously missing sidewalks, and people seem to think it's kind of a ghetto feature in an otherwise nice, middle-class area. At any rate, it's definitely NOT McMansion-ville. Just your average working class 'hood.
We just came back from a fun trip to LA (the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Foundation/Exhibit is Amazing!) and areas visited included Bel Air and Beverly Hills, both areas with beautiful homes-when you can see them behind the gates and hedges. One can tell that you are in Bel Air as opposed to Beverly Hills because there are no sidewalks there and it reminded me of a friend (wealthy family) from Atlanta who talked about how his ilk would never be in a neighborhood that had sidewalks.
For the life of me I cannot see how living in a neighborhoods without sidewalks makes it so much more desirable than a similar one with, but it seems that there is a unspoken rule about this. I would never live in such a neighborhood because I love to walk and find the whole concept ridiculous but perhaps someone here can enlighten me about this.
I'm not talking about rural areas, rather, those neighborhoods who by design exclude sidewalks as part of its character. Is it just unseemly to have to see folks actually walking by your McMansion, or a faux, rural character that is desperately trying to be established?
Thanks
</puts on flame suit>
Yes, in many people's minds anything that limits access is "desireable". Can't have the unwashed masses (especally if they're of color) runing everything now can we?
LA folks don't walk anywhere so they wouldn't care about sidewalks. As for me, I am looking forward to my next house being in a neighborhood with sidewalks again...better for stroller pushers, dog walkers, and evening strolls.
When I was growing up I always associated lack of sidewalks with the very rural or the very well off. Sidewalks were for the middle class, the suburbanites.
Now that I've lived in many different areas I see it as a local prefrerence more than anything else.
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Thread going in the dumper......
Thought it was tree bark at first.
Cats supply companionship as well, and can be trained to flush or at least use a litterbox. Some of us get beyond unconditional appreciation of the first few months of life, and appreciate when some measure of semi-adult independence occurs, including toilet training.
