This post originally appeared July 8, 2013.
FTR, I was not so mad about having a poop station up at the park as I was about the overkill with the signs.
As I recall, they came down pretty quickly, so I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one hacked off about it.
Here it is as it originally appeared.
I want to live my life with a heart like a dog, loving, trusting, forgiving. I really do. But I’m human after-all and sometimes I fail and when I fail, I usually fail miserably.
Wednesday when we entered the park I noticed a couple of posts had been hammered into the ground.
I wonder what they’re going to put on those? I said to Hubby, A sign that says no fires and no drinking in the park that the kids will promptly pull off and probably burn?
It was a flippant remark, half in jest, half-true. I’ve called and complained to the town about the kids smashing glass bottles, making bombs out of soda bottles and breaking off tree limbs in order to have a fire.
For the record, I haven’t complained about them smoking pot or having sex up there and leaving their used condoms in the field.
Just. For. The. Record. I want it to be known that I’m mean, but I’m not that mean. After all I was a kid once myself.
Thursday when we pulled up to the park, I found out what the sign posts were for.
- Why pick up after your pet?
- It is being a good neighbor.
- Vernon town ordinance 232, It’s the law. $25 fine per occurrence.
- It protects the environment.
- The average sized dog dropping produces 3 Billion Fecal Coliform Bacteria.
- Enough Said!
- To Learn More Please Take One.
Over on the left side of the path, was a lovely new Poop Station.
There’s a little sign next to this that says, “Compliments of the James Family.”
It was hot out. I was already hot. My temper got hot. So hot. I think I could have spit nails. I went from calm and collected to seven ways to pissed off. Why?
- It’s ostentatious. A nice poop station with some basic information about waste would be fine. (Although with the nimrods that walk their dogs up there, this might really be necessary.)
- It shows me the folks that are focusing on poop pick up don’t have a clear idea of why there’s so much unclaimed poop. I mean, how the hell can you pick up after your dog, if you have no idea where your dog actually is?
- People with dogs that use this entrance to the park are few. Not counting the people with the pugs who live four houses down and walk their pugs up there just to take a dump. And then leave it. My mother thinks he actually works for the town. They need to post this information at the illegal entrance to the park, the area where at least eight different dog owners enter, some who bring their dogs in just to let them pinch a loaf. Not one of them with leashes, never mind poop bags.
- Poop bags and pamphlets are just one more thing the kids will take and scatter about the park. In fact, I found about six of them out in the street yesterday when we went for our walk.
- Why are they focusing on dogs? Nobody goes in and gets pissed off because the deer crapped in the field, or the horse that left a huge land mine in the middle of the trail, that I needed Carabiners and ropes to climb over.
- One poop station at the entrance to a park. Maybe your dogs are trained to poop on command but mine aren’t. They usually crank a steamer in the middle of the park. I still have to carry that stinky bag through the park. Have I mentioned the bugs? There are bugs in the park and guess what? They like the smell of poop.
- Signs and poop bags are nice, but they don’t compare to two feet patrolling the park and actually ticketing people for letting their dogs drop ass wherever they want. If you want to put a stop to the problem you actually need to start ticketing people.
I’ve calmed down some since the initial viewing, which is a good thing. As I’m about to call the town and state my case and it’s always better if I do this when I’m wagging my tail instead of growling and snarling.
What pisses you off about where you walk your dog? Are there any situations where the powers in charge don’t seem to really have a grasp about the issue?
For the record, I did not end up calling the town. Cooler heads prevailed. The poop station is a great addition to the park. While I typically carry my own bags; there have been occasions when I’ve needed to take a bag or two. It’s also super nice to walk your dogs and not have to bring the bags home to stink up the garbage can.
I’m loving Throwback Thursday, were you around for this post, or is this new to you?
I DO remember this post! I remember all those idiotic signs pissing you off. But better to be pissed off than pissed on, though. (Unless you’re kinky.) 😝
I can see why it riled you up, they did go kind of overboard with the signs, and with so many other things going on at that park picking on the dogs alone doesn’t seem right. But the idea to have the poop station there is a good one. Did they ever put one at the other entrance you were talking about though? Seems like that would have made sense – instead of the extra signs have two poop stations.
When I used to walk on our rail trail a lot, it always bugged me that people didn’t have to pick up after their horses. Now those piles are a little harder to avoid!
I do remember this post and thinking that was a whole lot of signs (that people would probably not read or pay attention to.) However, FTR, Sue’s comment might be my favorite blog comment ever: “But better to be pissed off than pissed on, though. (Unless you’re kinky.) 😝” LOL Ain’t that the truth!
What pisses me off…we live near the beach. And on more than one occasion the dogs have discovered fried chicken bones either on the road or on the sidewalks! We all know the danger of cooked chicken bones. Why people have to toss them out car windows is a mystery to me.
TBT…love it. This reminds me of the old Burma shave signs. I can only guess the James family is not on your Christmas card list. 😈
I remember this post and understanding your frustration. I am glad you waited until tail wagging instead of snarling to state your case. City workers see too much snarling and it doesn’t impress them.
We are all for poop stations, but we also don’t think any signs really will change the behavior of those who choose not to scoop, sadly. More trash cans would be more effective most likely.
Holy crap that’s a lot of silly signs to put up… In a nature park of all places where the scenery alone is good enough.
We have poop stations at the various parking lots in parks around here, and I’ve always assumed that was enough. They’re big enough for people to notice, and they’re sticking out like eyesores in the middle of the actual trails.
And they’re NOT sticking out like eyesores in the middle of the trails is how that last line should read 🙂
just testing something
off topic. sharing some good news.
learning how to change Lilys photo. 🙂
WALKS!!!!! ya hoo
Tuesday we were able to get out for a walk. last night we took a car ride and stopped at a store that had a large green space bordered by woods. Lily had so much fun running around on a long lead. sniff sniffing everything.
even early mornings and evenings have been too hot for even a short walk. so Lily and I have been going bat-s##t cabin fever crazy.
Hahaha! That’s funny, I like having poop stations because I’ve forgot bags before or I’ve ran out…yes ran out. Dante likes to take a dump at the beginning of the walk, Ziva maybe/maybe not, and then Dante likes to sometimes go again in the middle of the walk! So sometimes I need at least 3 bags, unless he makes a GIANT pile which might take two bags just for his one dump!
Ugh…
This is new for me, so I’m glad you reposted it! I’m good about picking up after Haley, but there’s also the poop-nazi’s out there that drive me just as crazy as people that don’t pick up after their dogs. One of them caught me a few years ago when Haley decided to poop twice on a walk, which she never did before that. I intended on going back with another bag to retrieve it, but I still got scolded by someone, even though they could clearly see me already carrying one bag. Now, I never leave home without a spare, lol!
loved reading this again! have a great night.
I remember this post. Wonder what they did with all those signs?