When I grew up in Allentown and graduated from Allen in the mid 1960's, the sidewalks were clean. Now, I don't mean just free from litter, but they were actually clean. Women in babushkas would come out of their houses with buckets of water, and wash off their stoops and sidewalks.
On Monday mornings, from the amount of litter downtown, you would think that there was a parade over the weekend. Years ago a bureaucrat said, "You see litter on the street, but you don't often see people littering." Actually, you can see them littering...Park near any center city market, and watch the wrappers drop like leaves off a tree in the fall.
The Parking Authority could issue tickets for littering, but of course it's much easier to sneak away after ticketing a car, than confront a person directly.
Years ago there were not so many barbershops downtown, and the streets were clean. Now there are endless barbershops, but the streets are filthy. People seem much more concerned about their appearance, than that of the city.
When I write posts such as this, people get very offended, and accuse me of being culturally insensitive. I could care less, but wish that they would pick up after themselves more.
photocredit: old stock photo from Baltimore Sun, not Allentown.
You are correct, in the 1960's, I attended Central Catholic High school, We got off a bus at 8th and Hamilton and walked to school. The town was clean along the whole walk. There were many poor people who live on that course, but they took pride in their property and their city. The cities of america have now declined to third world standards. With trash and filth and poor sanitation comes rats and eventually disease. But that is the price that must be paid for political correctness and an open border policy.
ReplyDeleteMike, why aren't you using your platform to help spread fear and panic about the virus? You should be using your writing skills to convince your readers there is much to fear even though that may not, and very likely isn't be true. This is exactly why you will never be taken seriously by the real media.
ReplyDeleteOn another note a gentleman in our neighborhood picks up on Average 35 full size bags of litter per month. He is the main reason West Park is not littered up like our surrounding neighborhood. That person is Harry Crasper.
ReplyDelete