much adieu about doggie doo
in the present, in the current, in the here and now, freedom of choice is all there is. no matter what happens, you always have a choice about how you will deal with it. so what if you step on the thing that lies in front of you on your path? in the land of haligonia and beyond, this is for certain: doggie doo abounds, in stacks and mounds. i am offering up some handy hints about how to communicate positively with people who won't pick up the doggie doo.
when i am walking down the road or riding my bike or driving my car and i see someone not picking up the doggie doo, i stop and go up to the person and smile, and i tell them that i noticed they didn't have a bag for the doggie doo, and that i just happen to have an extra one that i pull out of my purse. then i find something positive to say about their pet and make light conversation while they pick up the poop. i have done this many, many times, and only once has the person reacted negatively, but she still picked up the poop. her dog had dumped a big load right on the front steps of a church. if everyone carried around a stash of bags and offered them up to unsuspecting people with dogs, if word got out on the street, then maybe it would lead to greater awareness and maybe things would change. one less pile of doggie doo is still one less pile of doggie doo. sometimes i think about how people get ticketed for not wearing a bike helmet. while going helmetless may not be a good idea from a safety point of view, the cyclists are making the choice to risk their own skulls. with doggie doo, everyone is at risk. the dog cannot pick it up, and the human made the choice to have a dog, so where is the poop patrol? it must be illegal to not pick it up, and it is very easy to catch people doing it, but i have never seen any law enforcement officials handing out tickets, not ever. halifax is swarming with meter maids who are on the case, pounding the streets two by two, handing out infractions left, right and centre, and you are called the "offender". if the city isn't going to do anything, then maybe it's time for some alternative action.i would like to propose a red flag challenge. the idea is to make little red flags that say 'pick me up' or 'look out' or 'yikes', put them on kabob skewers, and then go all around town and flag the doggie doo. this would send a visual message to innocent pedestrians that someone cares enough to warn them, and it might get people talking, which could raise awareness and maybe lead to change. whaddya say, my fair citizens, are we up for the red flag challenge? are there any other doggie doo performance art activists out there?
posted by Handy Girl http://handygirlsguide.blogspot.com
By handy girl
