Help me understand this. Why is it okay to walk your dog on Bayshore Boulevard without bringing (and using) a plastic bag? When did dog owners decide that it's acceptable to make everyone else live with their mess? Don't get me wrong. I love dogs. Some of my best friends are dogs. But that doesn't mean that I want to live in their litter boxes.
A dirty subject, yes, but an obstacle that we can no longer avoid on the sidewalk. It's time we addressed the inappropriate behavior of the select few. When our forefathers visualized Bayshore Boulevard, I don't think they had a vast wasteland in mind. I'm sure the initial concept wasn't to build a park where dog owners could dump their responsibilities.
It isn't Fido's fault. It's the owner's fault. It's become very difficult to navigate around the little surprises that people leave behind.
God help the poor runner that runs in the grass. You can envision him trying to scrape his feet off before going home. It's almost to the point where it's safer to brave the speeding traffic and run in the bike lane.
Dog owners - just the guilty ones - please consider this. How would you feel if I decided to relieve myself in your gym? Right there on the bench press? I love dogs, but over the past several years, it's gotten worse - and I've finally lost it.
About a month ago, the day before Gasparilla, I was out for a morning run when I saw an owner desert his dog's donation as if nothing had happened. And it wasn't a small dog. You know who you are. You're the idiot who gave me the blank look when I asked you to clean it up. Did you have poor potty training when you were a child?
Have some respect for other people. Have some respect for man's best friend. Have some respect for your city. Repeat after me. "The world is not my litter box."
-- Kerri Bliss,Bayshore Gardens
[Last modified April 8, 2004, 12:20:14]
