Picking Up the Poop, and Applications Outside of Dog Walking

sodahead.com

We no longer have a back door for letting out the dog. We need to remember all the important little things to take along like a bag, the leash, treats, sometimes a ball, and keys to get back in the apartment. Only then do we head out the door, zip down twelve floors, grab an extra bag on the way out because you never know, and walk around to the side lawn in order for Addy to “do her duty”. (Incidentally “do her duty” is what my parents dubbed the process when I was a kid. “Please take Candy out to do her duty.”). 

Yes, it’s a process.

I was under the impression that everyone living in this vertical, highly dog dense, living arrangement went about this process essentially the same. Was I ever wrong.

Here is where the process breaks down.

Dog owners have two opportunities to grab poop bags, in their apartment, or exactly the moment they are exiting the building. Never mind there is even a sign to remind you to grab one.

I don’t want to be a sourpuss, or not believe there’s inherent good in 99.99% of the people walking around out here but, I can’t understand how someone can neglect to remove their dog’s poop. Then live with themselves.

We can assume they just watched their dog drop some fresh stuff (yeah, it’s sick because we do watch for it). They know they didn’t bend down to pick it up after watching it happen. They are also fully cognizant of the fact that they are walking away leaving a ticking land mine behind for some unfortunate schmuck (read me) who will subsequently step in it while holding a poop bag for their own dog’s junk.

I just don’t get it! And it’s all over the place.

I guess this behavior has some application outside the dog poop context. There are people who clean up their messes, and those that don’t (like in the SCUBA diving world where there are people who pee in their wetsuits (yuck!), and people who follow the unwritten rule, which prohibits this behavior out of courtesy to the next person wearing it!).

Excuse me while I get a knife to extract Fritz’s excrement from my gym shoes.