Out on the Street

$15.01. That’s what we found this morning on the sidewalk.

We’d been shuffling along when I called out, ‘Dog doody!’ Mark looked down to avoid a disaster and found a five and ten dollar bill folded together on the sidewalk. Someone must have come home drunk, pulling the money out by accident while getting his keys. He was probably still sleeping while we celebrated at the neighborhood cafe.

The sidewalks in Greenpoint are obstacle courses, usually filled with not so nice things. The paving is heaved up in places and littered with glass, trash and piles of dog poop. Mark says there should be a campaign promoting doody karma. He experienced gum karma in his youth - every time he threw gum on the street, he wound up stepping in another wad of gum a few days later. The myth could be circulated about dog owners who fail to pick up their dog poop, since public responsibility and fines don't work.

The sidewalks in Park Slope, where I live, are pristine. Maybe it’s because more people own their homes, and they have little gardens front yards. Maybe it's because the dog owners own homes too, and they're concerned about property values. Or maybe the dog owners know about doody karma.

After the near miss and rare find this morning, we’ll be walking the streets with our heads down, from now on. You never know what you might find.


Photo by Noam Galai. For more great images, click here.