Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The Truth About Filthadelphia

In the 14 years that I've had this blog, I have always chosen to share photographs of the attractive things about Philadelphia, such as: the beautiful architecture, the parks, and the rich American history.

However, today I would like to share a different side of Philadelphia.

The filthy side. 

Like with any place, there are positives and negatives. And when it comes to Philly, one of the negatives is that half the residents here care about this city, while the other half could care less; particularly when it comes to doing their part in keeping this city clean. It's so much more convenient for them to throw their trash on the ground than in a trash receptacle. And although I can honestly say that this city does not supply nearly enough trash receptacles on our streets, even if they did, I'm sure I'd still see a ton of trash on the sidewalks and streets because I've watched people toss trash in spite of being 2 inches away from a trash receptacle. And they do it with a sense of entitlement.  

There is also a phenomenal amount of crime, homelessness, aggressive panhandling, and drug use. But those are things that many Philadelphians won't tell you about when boasting about this city because they live in an alternate reality called denial. It's a city that believes if they don't look at something by ignoring it, then "it" doesn't exist. And that includes our governor and mayor because they walk around with blinders on. They create laws and then don't enforce them.    

But trust me, as someone who is a native-Philadelphian who's also lived in many different places in comparison, this city has some major problems.

However, in this post, I'm going to focus primarily on the trash. 

Before I begin, I would like to share two articles that you can read if you wish. They both confirm my claims:

*this article is from a Philadelphia-based author and journalist. 

*this article is written by Forbes

 

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Please note that some of these photographs are mine, others I found online while googling for images of trash in Philadelphia. 

Also, these images are prior COVID-19. And I say that because this city likes to focus the blame outside itself, rather than taking responsibility. The trash and dirt you see in these photographs were long before the COVID pandemic.

It's known as the Philadelphia TRASH pandemic. 

And I've watched this pandemic escalate every year since moving back here in 2001-- the past four years being the absolute worst. 

WARNING: 

You may want to use a pair of goggles and some hand sanitizer before and after scrolling through these photographs...

This is a street in South Philadelphia...

Notice how certain Philadelphia residents choose to dump their own trash bags next to street receptacles...

Some of the residents here like to floss their teeth while walking down the street and then toss their flossers on the ground...

I've often seen trash like this sitting outside on the street and wondered how long it was going to take until the city picked it up. The Philadelphia trash disposal system seems to have a random pickup schedule. They just pick it up whenever they're in the mood, so the trash will often accumulate. And you should see what this garbage smells like in mid-summer, when it's 99°...

I wonder how Benjamin Franklin and George Washington feel about having trash bags dumped in front of them...

This newspaper dispenser is located on Walnut Street, which is a high-end shopping area of the city. I can only imagine what tourist think when they see things like this while visiting Philadelphia...

These last several photographs are of Kensington, which is one of the scariest places in Philly. A gal I used to work with had a home there that she and her husband recently sold. They couldn't take living there any longer because of the filth, crime, and drug addicts living on the streets. She not only moved out of the city, but to another state altogether.

When you look at these photographs, I'm sure you'll ask yourself, "Why doesn't the city do something about this?" And I would love to answer that for you, but I don't have one other than, "You're right, why don't they?"

And that's what I meant when I said at the start of this post, "It's a city that believes if they don't look at something by ignoring it, then "it" doesn't exist."

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the exquisite town of Kensington...

Notice the drug users in this photograph who can't even stand up. And this is something you not only see in Kensington, but I've witnessed it countless times in Center City, where I live. 

They look like zombies in the movie, "Night of the Living Dead", don't they?...

These two people were so wasted, they just passed out on the subway stairs, while everyone else had to walk around them...

So there you have it folks, Filthadelphia.

Sorry to gross you out mid-week, but I couldn't go a minute longer without sharing the trashy side of this city, that just keeps getting trashier.   

And I conclude this post by saying three things to Philadelphia...

Open your eyes!

Clean up your act!

and

Have a fantastic rest of your week, everyone!

💗