Trash Me

Lifelong committed Philadelphian here who can never fathom why people just throw, toss, discard at will!!! As my mom used to say, “Were you brought up in a barn?” At any rate, a couple of thoughts on trash and where it can be found in abundance! First, a “311” system would be a great way to report any and all minor transgressions that might not rise to the level of a “911” or avoids the frustration of going through a switchboard and musical numerology…

Persistent trash – can be found on Schuylkill Ave between Chestnut/Walnut – expressway side. This has become a mini dumping ground – some bags of discarded trash have been there for weeks, which just tells everybody without any sense to bring theirs down as well! Does the University City Business District take responsibility here? I’ve e-mailed City Hall – and what a surprise, no response!

Very persistent trash – along track beds for Amtrak/SEPTA routes. Who has responsibility for this mess? Not just trash – appliances, tires. I ride Amtrak 4 days a week to DC for my job. With summer, some of the sins are hidden by the brush; now that its time for “de-leafing” we’ll see just how active the trash dumpers were over the summer. Since these routes are a gateway to Philadelphia and form an immediate impression on out of towners, maybe a priority should be given! Do they still have prison work details?

Just some thoughts! Jerry

This is the only city I've lived in that just lets trash accumulate, never collects the fines it levies, never collects the liens against a property those fines become.
There's no leaf collection in my neighborhood. No street sweeping unless someone the mayor likes asks for it.
Illegal dumping is out of control. We have to organize a heavy trash pick up day, there is no set date that is advertised by the city.
The trash along all the SEPTA routes inside the city is disgusting. The R7 line is disgusting.
The city has given up.
But according to www.hallwatch.org, there is $563,389,411.85 in overdue taxes on 160,334 properties.
One way to find the money needed to clean up would be to collect this tax. Foreclose.
It's a burden to all of us that some people are not held accountable.
Every house that was turned over in a Sheriff's sale in my neighborhood has been renovated and is either on the market, or has new neighbors in it.
The effect this has had on cleaner streets and better standards is phenomenal, and the city got money instead of spent money.
Anywhere where there was an abatement of property tax ended up getting so many huge liens paid off that the city developed a surplus.
If the city stops fighting the private market and lets it work, the trash problem and means to pay for it are solved.

anonymous

From Alfredo’s to Zorbas, these menus are seen everywhere – most aggravatingly on our doorsteps, sidewalks and streets. It’s annoying and any given day a new menu will be jammed in my door or strewn across my stoop. I’ll recycle it immediately, but also find the same menus tossed to the sidewalk only a few doors down. This isn’t exclusive to my street, and I wonder who else is frustrated with the daily greeting by pizza parlors and burger joints before your key is in the door. Like plastic bags and trans-fats, must they too be stopped?

For the annoyed there may be a way to curb this problem: Licenses and Inspections can background check the legality of each company’s menu distribution through a permit investigation. It’s worth looking into, and I’ll simplify the requirements and inquiry contacts over the weekend.

So, after reading over distribution permits and talking with a few friends around City Hall, here’s the skinny on take-out menus.

Legally, with the Handbill Distribution License form filed and fees paid, businesses can circular-solicit without breaking litter laws or infringing on neighborhood rights. Violations however, can be reported to License and Inspections and suspected violators can be researched:

License and Inspections: License Information
Handbill Distribution License inquiry
Monday – Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. – 1 (215) 686-2490

(Note: the calling hours are annoyingly limited, and the process can take several weeks.)

To preempt take-out menus taking over your doorstep, I recommend another route: The Circular Non-Delivery Decal. The Circular Non-Delivery Decal is displayed on any residency wishing to be circular-free. Buried on L&I’s website, the form and instructions are available online; home-owners can print, complete and mail or fax the request (renters should encourage landlords to do the same) to receive the decal and stop handbill distribution.

L&I Applications Online - This form can be difficult to find. Click “Building and Permits” at the top of the screen. On the left hand side, choose “Certificates.” Under “Certificates,” choose “Other Certificates”. The form will be the only certificate available.

The sticker is free, and your address will be added to the Non-Delivery list. Handbill distributors who violate the sticker can then be reported to License and Inspections. I hope this helps, and that others join me in requesting the Non-Delivery Decal. It’s a small step, but one that will keep handbills off ours.

…by a little brisk weather. This morning I saw a regular street-sweeper tidying up after the weekend on his block. Donning his winter apparel, I barely recognized him under the hat and scarf until I saw him reach for Styrofoam on the street.

Don’t let the cold air keep you from your responsibility as a good citizen. As the season changes, soon will change the character of City Hall, too. Michael Nutter, likely Mayor-to-be, has reiterated the need for neighborhood responsibility, and he’ll work with those already working (so hint: keep working).

Besides, imagine how cold it is in Chicago right now… odds are the cool weather isn’t stopping citizens from keeping their streets clean.

Take a look at my colleague, Joe Gambardello's, piece today about a Kensington neighborhood where a well-intentioned policy (needle exchange program) has turned parks and streets into an infectious disease nightmare. It is probably too much to expect addicts to care about where they toss their instruments of self-destruction. But there's no excuse for what is happening here. Styrofoam and windblown plastic bags can damage the soul of a neighborhood. Syringes can kill. Look at how much care is given in hospitals to the discarding of sharps.

On a late walk through South Philly, last night I was treated to this holiday season’s worst trickery on East Passyunk, catching glimpses of Mischief Night in full-effect. Bits of egg dripped from windows on Tasker, toilet paper hung from trees on 8th Street, and I watched a group of kids stuff potatoes in car exhaust pipes or launch them at moving cars. Littering at its most violent, I watched two youths slam frozen water bottles into windshields on the run. Broken windows, smashed pumpkins, dented cars: I’m certain the mischief there was only one of many horror stories for the evening.

Michael Nutter has repeatedly mentioned neighborhood responsibility and I imagine the bulk of the damage came at the hands of neighborhood kids. Is this a Streets Department issue, or does it merit the Police Department’s attention? And while it may not end the tradition, I think this annual day of debauchery would best be countered by a 311-system.

Thoughts on 311 or neighborhood horror stories of your own? Don’t be afraid to share.