This is hardly a "residential neighbourhood" - according to my trusty GPS, there are 48 businesses with addresses within 500 feet of the intersection of 24th and Aspen.

Even if most of those are offices, that still means a lot of foot traffic. Which would you prefer - pedestrians toss their garbage and poop bags on the ground for you to pick up, or have a convenient garbage can they can use?

People who throw trash and poop on the ground won't use trash cans.

You’re telling me dog owners should not use the ‘community’ trash receptacles? I’m not talking about trashcans left out by neighbors on trash night or those of the local restaurants, I’m talking about the trashcans which are put in place by the city.

I keep the front of my home neat/tidy, pick up trash on/around my street and always pick up after my dog and dispose of it at home. Though, if my dog should take a poop within 5 feet of a city placed trashcan I should not use it to dispose of my baggie – Correct?

Please let me know where I can purchase the book “Rules and Regulations of a True-Fairmounter: The Fairmount Way.’

I'm happy to see the trash cans, though I agree regular emptying is crucial. Rather than sit around and complain about how no-one empties them, why don't we try to find out who put them in and, therefore, who is responsible for emptying them? We should have the ability as a community to demand that something as simple as a trash can being emptied actually happens. Then we'd have the best of both worlds - trash receptacles we badly need that don't become a blight themselves.

I'll start by contacting the CDC, since I'm guessing they might have had something to do with this. Will report back.

Niel -- you must have missed the rule about not posting anything constructive on PhillyBlog. Please take this opportunity to start an argument and call people names.

Seriously, please do let us know what the CDC has to say. I think finding out who put the cans out is the best idea. There used to be a can at 20th and Green; it was emptied regularly, then one day it disappeared. Ever since then I've been finding bags of dog poop and pieces of trash in front of my house, sitting on the sidewalk or in planters, at least three times a week. It's disgusting.

I'd agree that trashcans need to be tended. Kudos to neil for a positive solution. (and to the guys at Ward Park for taking care of it, even though it is not "their" problem...and although they don't generally seem too overburdened with things to do, it's nice of them to give up a bit of leisure time to the community).

But "the Fairmount way" seems to presume that no one will ever leave a 1 block radius of their house and thus need a public trashcan. I'd say "the Fairmount way" is stupid.

Still, Fairmount is significantly cleaner than a lot of other Philly 'hoods. Wish the city could figure out those newfangled things called trashcans, and how to empty them. It would significantly impact the quality of life.

__________________
be aware that what the GOP says does not mean what it reads and what We perceive as to what THEY say is or isn't, is not what THEY mean. You dig....Great! (ms. e)

You absolutely should NOT put your dogs poop in a public trash can located in front of somebody's house or business. Don't be a slob.

Huh? Putting trash in a trashcan is being a slob?

Don't be a slob? What are you talking about?

99% of the time I bring my poop bags back home, but you're telling me that the 1% of the time that I use a public trash can (For what it's meant for) I in turn become a slob.

And, please don't tell me that poop bags are not trash.

Guess what people, trash smells - That's why it's trash.

The problem is NOT what goes into the public trash cans, it's where they may be placed and how often they are maintained.

Please don't turn this into another dog owners are ruining Fairmount thread.

A contentious issue to be sure. I can say that there is at least one residential complex that eschews having a much needed trash can on their premises due to this fact exactly. So even though we (I’m assuming others may feel as I do) don't want to prevent the use of trash cans when needed, including filling them with dog crap, it does have a complementary effect on what others find as an appalling lack of public general use trash receptacles.
A couple of doggie bags I don't believe is a big deal, but with the large amount of pet owners in the area, it does leave a burden on the cleaners and the olfactory when the entire 50 gallon bag is poop. Whether or not that burden is justified is really the only half of the argument with any practical impact.