Dog Feces in Bag—Good; Bag in Lapham Road—Bad

New Canaan is—as a wise, prominent local man observed this week—“very, very clean.”

Maybe that’s why isolated instances of littering can stand out that much more here.

Unlike past installments of “Really?”—one on inconsiderate motorists, another on pedestrians—we’re not expecting this week’s edition to create wide disagreement in principal.

Are there areas of town where you see more litter than others?

Downtown New Canaan is extremely well kept, and making sure no garbage or litter piles up absolutely is a priority for business owners and leaders who take tremendous pride in the area, including after the summer’s popular “Pop-Up Park” in the heart of downtown (a program that’s expanding in 2013).  The town has a dedicated, active Beautification League (they’re the ones that bring us the hanging baskets downtown, among other wonderful little extras that make such a difference).

What strikes me most about those instances of littering we document here—what I struggle with—is trying to imagine the person in the act. Take the featured photo above, for example: You’re in Waveny Park—one of the most serene, picturesque areas in this entire region, and for local people the cherished touchstone of youth sports, sledding, Fourth of July, weddings ... You’re with your dog. Dog squats, you pick it up and then—and then you toss the bag of feces into the street?

I have nothing to add beyond the captions except this: