2:53 PM
Carole
Ever wonder where all those unsightly tennis shoes suspended from various power and phone lines around the city come from? Or even more interestingly why are they there? I don't know why this bothers me so much but it does. I was driving west on 13th Avenue the other day and counted more than 6 pairs in one spot. It certainly doesn't improve a neighborhood to see old dirty sneakers dangling precariously over your head as you drive down the street. Now admittedly as a realtor I have a vested interest in seeing our neighborhoods and communities be the best they can be so perhaps I am overly sensitive; however, while listening to National Public Radio (NPR) earlier this spring I discovered that this is an advertising model for drug dealers.
Apparently all across the country it means, "you can buy drugs here." Now if this is common enough knowledge for NPR to pick it up and broadcast it I should think that law enforcement officials and perhaps even the power companies are aware of the significance of the "suspended sneakers." And likewise it would seem to me that a pretty basic way of slowing down the street drug trade and cleaning up neighborhoods might be to pull the shoes down and at least obscure the location of the local drug traders. In fact I might even suggest that whoever pulls them down could probably create an alliance with a laundromat and/or some other charity minded group, arrange for the errant shoes to get laundered and bleached and then perhaps donate them to a local hoemless shelter.
That's a concept- our tax dollars really at work. Our local law enforcement being proactive instead of reactive and giving back to the community as well. I think this could qualify as a "green project," too. Instead of filling a landfill with the offensive sneakers this would put them back in circulation.
And speaking of circulation, many neighborhoods are starting to see the appearance of bright green door hangers on their front doors. Yes that's us and before you dismiss the door hangers as just so much propaganda give them a good read because each one has an incentive coupon for you to try one of our favorite neighborhood establishments. Don't add them to the land fill use the coupon and then tell us what you think. And about the sneakers: until local law enforcement hears that this is important I am afraid we are on our own for removing the sneakers from the power lines. I recommend using a tree trimmer and cutting the laces and of course if you see them in your hood I recommend removing them. And if you are thinking of buying or selling real estate we hope you will call us. We want to be your city realtor (and we will need new sneakers soon).
Apparently all across the country it means, "you can buy drugs here." Now if this is common enough knowledge for NPR to pick it up and broadcast it I should think that law enforcement officials and perhaps even the power companies are aware of the significance of the "suspended sneakers." And likewise it would seem to me that a pretty basic way of slowing down the street drug trade and cleaning up neighborhoods might be to pull the shoes down and at least obscure the location of the local drug traders. In fact I might even suggest that whoever pulls them down could probably create an alliance with a laundromat and/or some other charity minded group, arrange for the errant shoes to get laundered and bleached and then perhaps donate them to a local hoemless shelter.
That's a concept- our tax dollars really at work. Our local law enforcement being proactive instead of reactive and giving back to the community as well. I think this could qualify as a "green project," too. Instead of filling a landfill with the offensive sneakers this would put them back in circulation.
And speaking of circulation, many neighborhoods are starting to see the appearance of bright green door hangers on their front doors. Yes that's us and before you dismiss the door hangers as just so much propaganda give them a good read because each one has an incentive coupon for you to try one of our favorite neighborhood establishments. Don't add them to the land fill use the coupon and then tell us what you think. And about the sneakers: until local law enforcement hears that this is important I am afraid we are on our own for removing the sneakers from the power lines. I recommend using a tree trimmer and cutting the laces and of course if you see them in your hood I recommend removing them. And if you are thinking of buying or selling real estate we hope you will call us. We want to be your city realtor (and we will need new sneakers soon).
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