Updates: As of February 4th, 2002.
Remember... this is Issue #3. If you're new to all this trash stuff, click here to see Issues #1 or #2.
I have to say it's been a pretty disappointing experience to date. The response to my Trash site has ranged from concern to passion, but apart from the stuff I've picked up, and apart from the stuff that's blown away in the wind, it's all still exactly as shown in this gallery of photos.
We had a Trash walk with Gary from City Code Enforcement but he's really only concerned about large illegal piles on City property. Since most of the stuff pictured here is County Trash, I might as well have gone for a walk with someone from Iceland. Sure we had a fun walk, but I picked up more City trash than he did (and I live on the County side).
Then there was our walk last week with Russell from the Desert Managers Group. Very high-tech with all the trash being recorded using a GPS system. I seem to remember hearing something about the possibility of arranging some transport and the waiver of dump fees to help get rid of it if we had some volunteers in the labor department, but now all the plot points have come in it seems all the trash is on Private Land and they can't spend money to clean that up... but hey, Russell did give us some nice plastic trash bags toward the clean up and we're grateful for that at least. Click here to see the bags collected so far... it would be great if someone would come by and pick these up.
The County haven't responded to me yet about this trash at all and it's now three weeks and counting. I'm thinking that it may be time to take it a level higher.
I do have one strange story to tell though with regard to the Environmental Health Department... I won't go into all the details of it here, but because one of the piles contained numerous assorted food containers it was hoped that they might get involved to at least clean up that one pile. But no such luck.
All they were interested in doing was sending someone out to see who owned the parcel in question so they could give the owner a ticket for allowing himself to be the victim of a crime... yes that's right, you read it correctly, the poor "victim" was going to get a ticket.
It seems different laws apply to different victims of different crimes. By this I mean that if you catch an illegal dumper in the act of dumping trash on your property, the dumper may be arrested and given a ticket and forced to clean it up. BUT, if you're asleep in bed, or live somewhere else, and you don't catch them, you may be the one to get a ticket and told to clean it up. Doesn't that seem ridiculous to you? (It does me). If banks were prosecuted for allowing themselves to be robbed, or victims of assault were charged with allowing themselves to be beaten up, it might make more sense, but this is a very one-sided measure to me. Using that logic, the County should be ticketing themselves for all the roadside trash they are "allowing" to be dumped on their property.
I've also heard something about presentations at schools to educate and to encourage peer pressure on the kids... Sounds like a good idea in principle, but is it really their responsibility? Of course we want them all to grow up and be happy human beings who don't dump their trash in the desert (or anyplace for that matter), but they certainly aren't responsible for any of the stuff pictured on this site.
If pressure should be applied anywhere, it should be applied fairly and squarely on the shoulders of our elected (and wannabee elected) representatives... that means local, regional, state, and national if necessary, not the school kids.
But that doesn't mean to say that schools shouldn't be involved, after all, this is supposed to be an educational experience.
My idea for school involvement would be for every school to start their own Trash Web Site and link them together in a Trash Web Ring. Schools across the country could get involved and show their local trash. Many schools would benefit from the exposure and prizes could be given for the best web site, the most unusual trash photos, the most items, etc... We've had “Hands Across America” so why not Trash Across America?
No attention will ever be given to this problem while it's just one crazy guy (me) living in a cabin in the middle of the desert taking photos, but if there were more and more sites like this, all linked together, more interest would be generated in an ever increasing fashion. Then, before anyone could blink, there would be huge corporate sponsors clamoring to clean it up faster than a spruced goose through a monkeys rectum.
So... Just Say OK to peer pressure. A big Yes to education and creation of Trash Web Sites, and Yes to pressure on elected officials.
I don't know if anyone ever wrote their Thesis on Trash, but if they did, we'd be happy to publish any of them here because it would be appropriate.
So where are we? Pretty much nowhere because I don't suspect for a minute that schools will ever be encouraged to create Trash web sites for fear it would be too controversial.
And who really wants to devote their time and effort to cleaning up a large part of the desert they don't even live in for no thanks and no reward from anyone? In case you do though, here's where we need help and could solve the problem by ourselves with a small amount of assistance from the right people...
BUSINESSES:
Businesses need to offer redeemable gift tokens so a little incentive and reward might be offered to people who want to actively go out and pick up trash for hours, days, weeks, or months on end.
It's important to remember there's more trash lying around in just this few square miles than can be picked up by a single person in their lifetime... and let's not forget either that all this trash is ultimately caused by a business. Every photo here can be traced and connected to one form of business or another.
The current organized "Trash Day" activities are obviously not enough and we need a more ongoing program for Beautification that doesn't start on a certain day and end at sun down, and doesn't only include certain parts of land that belong to the government.
That's why we need “little redeemable thingies of every description” so people who do volunteer on a day-to-day basis for the back-breaking work of picking it up will know their efforts are appreciated when they sit down for a complimentary glass of wine or entrée from a participating establishment. Wal-Mart, Amazon... are you listening?
There's any number of ways anybody can help... even if it's just by helping with e-mail so we get more attention focused on the problem... In short, anyone with one leg and half a lung is good-to-go if they remotely care.
Remember, the only thing we don't want is MONEY!
But we do need...
1: People with time.
If anyone can devote some of their spare time to help the clean up, it would be great. Refreshments are provided and it's a good form of exercise.
2: Trucks to haul stuff away.
If people can lend vehicles to haul stuff away, or trucks with drivers, it would help.
3: Special Equipment.
Some of this stuff is heavy and needs a crane to lift. If you can supply this type of assistance it would be helpful.
4: Gloves/Trash Bags, etc.
Apart from special equipment, we'll also need some basic stuff... like gloves, heavy duty trash bags, mini-shovels (for freeing some of this stuff from the sand).
5: Refreshments.
If you just want to help by donating refreshments that can be given to others, that would be good to.
6: Disposal.
If you have a skip or dump bin you'd allow people to deposit collected trash in, so it may be collected and hauled away as part of your normal trash service, that would be a help.
E-Mail me here to volunteer your help.
On a light hearted note, the following is an idea for having some fun with City trash and helping the “beautification“ at the same time. (I've found the word beautification to be more politically acceptable than saying the word trash, but if picking up trash is beautification, then it beautification it is).
Let me say firstly though that I don't know if this idea is strictly legal but I don't see why it shouldn't be. It might be safer for anyone doing this gag to leave a letter someplace safe explaining what you're about to do... just in case you get caught and they don't believe you...
All you need for this gag is a cell-phone and a few hours of spare time during the week.
Armed with a few friends (more the better) and your cell phone, you go to someplace within the City limits and look for a lot of trash that's spread around.
Now all you need to do is make this trick work is collect all the trash that's spread around everywhere and move it all into 'one big pile'.
Simple!
Having done that, with your cell phone, call City Code Enforcement on 367-6799... Tell them there's a large pile of trash at... (give them the location your gag)... and request they come out immediately and aggressively take care of it.
You then just sit back and wait for the troops to arrive and smile as they cart away your handy work and clean up after you.
The only problem might come is if you're seen doing this and someone reports you to the police because they think you're actually dumping the trash...
That's why it's important to write the note explaining what you're doing before you set out. Refer them to this web site if you have to... just so you can prove you were just having some fun while actually helping to CLEAN UP the desert...
The last thing we want is for anyone to be arrested for rearranging trash... so please don't try it if you're not 100% sure about it. You could always be extra safe by phoning in your warning to rearrange a pile somewhere within the City Limits and you will let them know where it is when you're finished... This might even be more fun because you'll know that they'll know, but not where you're doing it. You can still call it in when you've finished in the same way.
If you do try it, please e-mail me here and let me know how it worked out. I wonder as well what the reactions would to just rearranging existing City trash on the County side of the line and/or vice versa. Would that be an offense? Probably.
Click here to see: Issue #1 or Issue #2.
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