update on the planters

this week, someone dug out a plant from the blue planter. this act was just plain mean. both david and i were demoralized--who does something like that? and who lives here? who are our neighbors, who believe that stealing plants is ok, or fun, or worth doing? (or is it someone who doesn't live here? why do they come to our street and steal plants?)

almost as soon as it disappeared, david planted a new one in its place:


the current configuration of the planter (as i look at it on sunday morning) includes:
1. one large blue planter with 4 plants, one empty cigarette box, and no tags
2. one medium-sized planter
3. two 8-foot 2x4s, placed near the planter

(the original config included 2 additional planters)

once or twice a week, we throw away the garbage that inevitably appears. the more substantial leavings--furniture, appliances--have stopped. david and a neighbor caught the perp red-handed one day, and he now dumps his stuff across the street (!). incredible.

i'm not against people leaving a "free box" in front of their own pad, but that's just it. this NIMBY attitude that our street is where you dump because the people who live here are poor, or don't care, is unacceptable. it's not lost on me that our old neighborhood--a wealthier, whiter 'hood--is MUCH cleaner.

and that's another, equally complex topic.