Ugh! A reader sent in the above pictures and says: "I took these photos Saturday. It's the south side of Ainslie between Winthrop and the el tracks. A veritable rodent buffet. Everything from rice, to fried rice noodles, rolls and even a blob of mashed potatoes..."
That parkway needs a lot of work, even without the rat banquet. Maybe a group or just a few individuals in the area should consider "adopting" it to discourage this sort of disgusting behavior. Shame on whoever left our neighborhood like this.
There are always a lot of pigeons over there. This is insane. I've always noticed breadcrumbs, but never anything like this. This is like a restaurant getting rid of what left at the end of the day. We need some spies over there!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it's the pigeon lady. She lives on that corner.
ReplyDeleteNice title parkway piggies.
ReplyDeleteWe have those in Rogers Park too.
Uptown generally (or at least Sheridan Park) is a pigsty. The worst areas are those closest to the Leland and the Darlington on Racine & Leland where on any given day you can find empty bottles of Urinovski vodka, Icehouse cans, McD's wrappers, etc. The building at 4655/57 N. Malden (Section 8 I think) always has garbage strewn all over the place in the alley making a smorgasbord for rats. The house at 4650 N. Malden must have severely disabled people living there. Their front yard (within the fence) is always filled with litter that no one living there seems to be able or willing to collect. The building next door at 4662 N. Malden always has a filthy parkway. On the bright side, it's nothing compared to the filth and decay that was shown in those photos of Uptown from the early 1970's. :)
ReplyDeleteThe streets are lined with trash because a great number of folks that live in our fine neighborhood don't have the slightest bit of hesitation in using the street as their own trashcan. It seems like the 'children' have inherited this quality from their parents, as its a far too common occurrence to see kids dropping their wrappers, cans, whatever - at their side, making no effort to drop it into a trash can instead. Sadly, I see it almost daily.
ReplyDeleteRE: "Maybe a group or just a few individuals in the area should consider "adopting" it to discourage this sort of disgusting behavior."
ReplyDeleteI notice the reader who submitted the pictures does not mention if s/he cleaned up the mess.
Ironic?
My suggestion----lead by example. There are many of us fine folks who pick up litter on a daily basis as a matter of habit. I don't do it on my way to work (dirty hands, yuck) but don't hesitate to do it on the way home. If you do it often enough it starts to send a signal that it's not ok to litter. Simple enough?
ReplyDeleteWe have the same "piggies" on my block of Winthrop in Edgewater. Our building is large and has substantial curb appeal, so of course I regularly find multiple Icehouse cans, cheap liquor bottles, Cheetos bags and other assorted trash not only on our parkway *over* the front gate well inside of the courtyard.
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely.
I live on the border of West Edgewater and West Rogers Park and, on the sidewalk underneath the Metra viaduct, there are often piles of rice or bread. I am wondering if the same person is responsible for the littering in both locations. It has been suggested that the person(s) is of Asian descent.
ReplyDeleteThis is Alderman Osterman's Ward, the 48th, correct? Start calling him.....
ReplyDeletePerhaps the neighborhood needs some more trash cans? I know the Wilson & Magnolia mini mart parking lot gets many "litterbugs".
ReplyDeleteA little while back I was out picking up trash on my block when I had a nice experience with a mother and her child. After placing my collected trash into a street side can, the kid (probably around 5yo) came to the trash can with a couple of pieces of trash he picked up himself. He told his mother he did it because he "saw that man picking up garbage." Still motivates me to be a good neighbor, even when doing so can be utterly frustrating.
ReplyDeleteClearly this is done by a person, but another problem is the overflowing dumpsters (especially on a windy day). Also, some of the garbage men or women who carelessly move trash.
ReplyDeleteI’m just saying it’s not just the litterbugs who pollute the neighborhood.
That's the name of my next band!
ReplyDeleteYou could have trash cans every 5ft and it wouldn't matter. Slobs are going to litter, regardless. If you don't have any feeling of pride or responsibility, or feel any sort of shame because nobody taught you otherwise, you don't give it a second thought.
ReplyDeleteWhy not go after the Asian Townhome Owners across the street, from where they litter daily for almost 10years. #thepigeonladymyass#
ReplyDeleteuptownanon, I'm not so sure. I don't believe people go out of their way to litter if a garbage can is nearby.
ReplyDeletewangchung, I agree the city garbage persons seem to always be in a rush & like to throw the garbage around.
It is interesting that someone brought up Icehouse. I saw a gentleman strolling down Leland this morning merrily drinking a can of Icehouse. When he was done he promptly threw it over his shoulder and made his way to the Cornerstone Community Outreach Center.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that is better than the drug dealing I see outside of there every now and then.
Cornerstone, should they not have a no alcohol and drugs policy in place? What is up with that?
ReplyDeleteI don't really think Cornerstone is a good organization in the community. I'm really starting to think more and more many of the social services orgs in Uptown are bogus and do much more damage to the surrounding community than good. Heartland and ONE to name drop a couple more.
ReplyDeleteWe have parkway vandals as well in our fair city.
ReplyDeletehttp://chevanstonrogerspark.blogspot.com/2013/03/parkway-vandals_29.html
americanlt,
ReplyDeleteI have borne witness outside the Wilson Yard Target: 2 mothers with about 6 kids between them talking on the sidewalk. Kids unwrap ice cream sandwiches, and proceed to throw wrappers directly to the ground. When I pointed out that it looked like they dropped something, I was told to "mind my own f-ing business", and they continued their conversation.
This was *next to* a garbage can. Alrighty then.
.....interesting.....very familiar to me as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile at the Wilson and Magnolia stop sign....a 'gal' in the car in front of me, repeatedly tossed out one after another trash from her car window. I honked at her, and she flashed me an indignant 'FU'.
As someone has noted, littering amongst certain people is somehow 'OK'.
Possibly the lowest on the socio-economic or education scale from what I've seen....
Not a vapid whiner here....I actively scoop up trash on my street, and alley too.
Most people don't understand why this food is left out like this on that block. I certainly didn't understand until I learned one day that the Cambodians who live on that block have a cultural tradition of not wasting food . They have a practice of leaving the food out for other living things to consume rather than throwing it in the trash.
ReplyDeleteI am not condoning these actions. I still do believe it's a public health issue. But I have a better understanding why they do this like clock work.
And perhaps they don't know impact on the neighborhood and the city laws.
I hope we can solve this issue a bit more NEIGHBORLY this time. A simple letter to them won't be a bad start.
DeleteNow that's what I was looking for. A reason. It is clearly intentional, I've just not been able to fathom why. Do they live in the townhomes to the East of Winthrop, across from the farm?
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a touching thing for them to do ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY. That way they would have the chance to enjoy the rats and pigeons all to themselves.
ReplyDeleteKim, your passive-aggressive comment is completely off base. The Pigeon Lady was approached numerous times in a kind way and assualted numerous people. She is mental. Period. My version of neighborly is to give her one warning, then start hauling her off to jail. She can be the "Bird Woman of Cook County" there and we dont get hoards of rats and pigeons, aka flyin rates, as our rewards.
ReplyDelete@kim, you're completely wrong. i've seen this pigeon lady coming from 4848 n winthrop building just to drop these leftovers and approached her about it. she ignored me and just kept walking back to the building.
ReplyDeleteThat would be pretty amusing if people started leaving breadcrumbs and whatever on Pidgeon lady's property. Taste of her own medicine.
ReplyDeleteIf she lives at 4848 N. Winthrop, this is her property. The photo is on the parkway at Ainslie and Winthrop, adjacent to that buildings parking garage.
ReplyDeleteThe woman is mentally ill and believe the bible tells her to feed the birds. There's not a lot that can be done to reason with someone like that. I don't know much about that building but it seems to be low-income housing of some sort.
If the reason simply is not to waste food. Could we not start a Compost pile? In addition, that compost bin could directly benefit the neighboring garden.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the Asian Community Center own that garden?
Laura, actually the land between the sidewalk and the street is not her property. It is OUR property, otherwise known as the City of Chicago. That parkway must be maintained by the landowner for which it fronts, but the property itself is a city easement...
ReplyDeletei have just witnessed a early 20 woman who dumped a bag of rice on the ground, she jumped in a dark grey toyota prius with a older man who seems to be in their 50's drive and stopped on the corner of ainsle and winthrop. the lady seems to live 2 or 3 houses down on winthrop (going to argyle). I have seen the dark grey toyota prius park on the corner of ainsle and winthrop often now.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.uptownupdate.com/2012/09/probation-for-pigeon-lady.html
ReplyDeleteAccording to the alderman in the above post: "If you and one other person see Kang Young scattering bread anywhere in Chicago, call the police (at least 2 witnesses are ideal) and tell them she's breaking a court order. Please call my office with any questions (773-878-4646) or email us at info@james46.org with any questions about this matter."
So remember: woman+gray prius+feeding pigeons=call police.
Thanks!