Is Philadelphia the dirtiest large city on the east coast? How about east of the Mississippi? The "Inconsiderate Person" post has enthralled me for the last week and it got me thinking as I spent the last three days travelling through several airports and one mid-sized southern city. All very clean, of course. So clean I was depressed. Why? Because inconsiderate people had prepared Philly for my return...

Tonight, of course after an utterly fantasic series of delay producing circumstances both in the air and on the tarmac, my flight finally pulled into D terminal. After disembarking, of course one of the first things you see is dingy soft drink stained carpeting when you make your way inside. And there's the special smell in the air ...

After picking up my bag, I wait for the R1 and of course I get the extra stinky car. Where are the dead animals hidden??? The floor of the train car is littered with more than train tickets. Newspapers, water and soft drink bottles, and random trash make me feel like I just sat down at the Riverview. After terminals C, B, and A, we make our way toward Philly and what do I see? Tracks strewn with every kind of trash imaginable. Tires, boxes, millions of bottles, etc.

Arrive at Market East and ascend the stairs for the 11th Street exit and boom. The smell you forgot existed hits you like a ton of bricks. After coughing my way through the stench of urine, I am at street level and staring south on 11th from the corner. The block in front of CVS is beautifully trash strewn tonight: I see styrofoam food containers, soft drink cups, the obligitory City Paper "sprayed" around and of course the other random trash of our filthy existence. Walk south and the litter eases a little near TJU, but picks up again after Walnut.

I could go on and on, but my point is: what gives? Every entrance and exit ramp in this city is FILLED with trash in the margins. The highways, the overpasses, any crevice you can find... FILLED with trash. I seriously would have to go out of my way to litter in some of the places I see things. Sidewalks in residential areas are trash filled. And it's not like some people don't try to clean up (I've seen the posts and obviously pick up trash too).

I spent the last 3 days in other cities and airports and never saw the volume of trash we have. Moreover, I've been in many U.S. and European cities and can't think of a place where the trash is noticable to the point of distraction.

So, is the will to litter present in equal percentages accross all populations and Philadelphia just fails at cleanup? Or do we all share a regional affliction which makes us want to trash the landscape?

Tonight, I imagined a slick ad campaign which would compare our lack of civic hygene to the cleanliness of other world class cities, perhaps guilting the lazier Philadelphians into picking up. But, where would the money come from, and would people even be receptive?

It looks like we just don't care... or at least most of us don't care. Please tell me I'm wrong.

Well, I care. So do the other people discussing the same thing in this thread:

http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=34194

This evening, my husband and I cleaned our street as we were putting our trash out. It took 20 minutes. It doesn't take much time to keep things clean, but it's apparently a very difficult concept for some people.

__________________
"If you think you're too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito."

--Bette Reese

I don't think we are the filthiest, but we definitely have the highest number of aggressive homeless in what are supposed to be our most upscale neighborhoods.

In all fairness you did happen to pass through some of the "trashyest" places; Septa and Market east when it is trashyest.....the end of the day.

__________________
Forget it Jake……It’s CHINATOWN!

Thanks, I didn't realize CountFunkula's head would explode at exactly the same time as mine. At least we're all talking about it. Next up, acting on our frustration and canvassing the city with citizen trash pickers!

[I don't think we are the filthiest, but we definitely have the highest number of aggressive homeless in what are supposed to be our most upscale neighborhoods.]

I couldn't figure out how to quote two posters at once but Galin and Bryson - these kind of attitudes are EXACTLY what is wrong here. The 'oh well'.... There is no stinking reason why SEPTA and Market East have to be the 'trashiest place'. In fact, I'd argue that they should be the cleanist b/c they are Philadelphia's front door. And Galin, I actually think panhandlers here aren't the problem it is the average scum-bag citizen that just throws his/her trash wherever, whenever they want.

Sadly, I would have to agree. People here are increadibly piggish.

Growing up (Northwestern US), my friends who lived in the most sub-blue-collar of neighborhoods all still had perfectly manicured lawns and the sideways looked as if you could eat off them.

I spent a lot of time in Europe--mainly Germany--and a desirable neighborhood such as Bella Vista looks like a total slum in comparison.

Good on you and your husband, and hopefully more will follow your example. That's the type of proactive spirit that's needed to clean up the city.

__________________
"Everything that guy just said is bull$h!t! Thank you."

-- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini

So many times I see people discard their trash on Market Street. Someone will upwrap whatever they're eating and just throw it on the ground without a second thought.

I am tempted to pick it up and hand it to them saying "I think you dropped this". Although I know better and keep my mouth shut for fear they will go apes**t on my a**.

Next time, I'll just pick it up and throw it in the nearest receptacle.

Citimark..you got it right about what Philly is/showcases at this point. It's a filthy place. When neighbors begin cleaning their streets it definitely helps, but it's not enough on the citywide scope. How do other cities keep clean and Philly can't? This tells me there are PLENTY of jobs available...because a lot of cleaning is necessary! What happened to supply/demand?? On a different tangent, people keep mentioning that the casinos will bring jobs to the city...but alas, we have plenty of jobs available and no one filling them as it is!

I hold onto my trash until i see a trash receptacle...but i won't pick up after someone who keeps discarding on the street, not unless i'm paid. Not if they will keep discarding after it's been cleaned...it's about learning to appreciate. And about paying the people that do the all important job of cleaning our streets.