What can LA learn from Hong Kong? (Los Angeles, West Hollywood: home, quality of life)

[SoCal35]

I am NOT an LA basher but a conversation I had recently with an immigrant shopkeeper from Hong Kong got me thinking.

The ISSUE is CLEANLINESS (or lack of it) and DOGS:

-The dog population in downtown Los Angeles has grown expontentially in the last few years.

-Unfortunately, irresponsible dog owners do NOT clean up after their dogs and the public sidewalks become a public toilet.

-I saw the owner of a small retail shop in downtown washing down the sidewalk outside his store on 7th steet in downtown. The gentleman is an immigrant from Hong Kong who has been downtown for about 8 years.

-He told me in the last few years the increase in DOGS has made things worse. He has to clean up after them nearly every day!!

-He said in his native Hong Kong the fines for such offenses are so great that people think twice. I assume enforcement is probably stricter too. But the STREETS are CLEAN.

-I know this might look like a pathetic thread....a guy complaining about DOG you know what. Lots of other more "serious" issues to worry about but it is such a basic quality of life issue: CLEANLINESS.....we really could and should demand more of ourselves and fellow citizens.

CLEAN STREETS and Demoracy should NOT be an oxymoron.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

My question is are these dogs owned by people or are they just wandering around? The owners are responsible are they not for their dogs? If the dogs are not owned and just wandering around maybe the city should put them down. Seems like a pest control issue to me.

[smokingGun]

I think Downtown LA needs an area council to deal with residential problems. West Hollywood used to be just as bad with lax dog owners & out-of-control club patrons but they've cracked down in recent yrs at the behest of local businesses & also single-family home owners. Unfortunately problems like these are often demographic in nature and you really won't see a huge change until Downtown area residents start aging into their 30's & 40's and become more responsible & sensitive to nuisances.

[SoCal35]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

My question is are these dogs owned by people or are they just wandering around? The owners are responsible are they not for their dogs? If the dogs are not owned and just wandering around maybe the city should put them down. Seems like a pest control issue to me.

Definitely owned by PEOPLE who walk them around the block for a walk but REFUSE to clean after FIDO has done his little deed.

[Fontucky]

People who don't clean up after their dogs should be publically caned.

That'll learn em.

[sam222]

Fontucky
Publicly caned, I would say publicly Stoned

[SoCal35]

Originally Posted by sam222

Fontucky
Publicly caned, I would say publicly Stoned

I say let's do BOTH!

[Fontucky]

We can get stoned while they get caned.

[SoCal35]

Now we are talking....

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

People who don't clean up after their dogs should be publically caned.

That'll learn em.

That would probably happen in Singapore, where caning is used as a penalty for certain offenses. They have all sorts of fines for certain types of behavior, such as littering, jaywalking, not flushing a public toilet after use, and driving over the causeway to Malaysia on a nearly empty fuel tank [to take advantage of lower gasoline prices in Malaysia]. There's an old joke about Singapore being a "fine" country.