Tuesday, 24 February 2009
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Endangered species
Do you remember the old slap-stick comedy routines where a man would slip on a banana skin. LOLL! Oh…that’s Laugh Out Loud Lots for those that haven’t worked it out yet…. It was hilarious, or so we thought at the time and it acted like a public warning that great embarrassment and injury lay around every corner for the unwary pedestrian.
Worked for me. For years I was on red alert to avoid a similar fate.
I am writing this to let you know that you don’t need to worry anymore. Banana skins have become an endangered species and I say this with some authority because for the last 6 weeks I have made it my mission to seek, find and record how many banana skins are left in the wild.
My method of research: To record on a daily basis, over a 2 week period, all items discarded on the roads over a 3 kilometer radius.
Clipboard in hand, pen at the ready my mission began. I have to say that in the absence of having a dog to walk this mission has given purpose to my daily routine.
It is amazing what a difference a sense of authority confers on a person as people passing buy almost nod in respect. You can see them thinking…she must be doing something ‘official’.
Findings:
Plastic bottles = 27
Pizza boxes = 7
Fries packets = 29
Bottle caps = 32 (suggesting some people throw caps out of the window and discard the bottle elsewhere…. watch for this coming to your neighborhood soon.
Drink cans = 15
Milkshake tops/straws = 11
Chocolate wrappers = 9
Supermarket trolleys = 3
Bikini top = 1
Shoes = 1 (shame…it was quite nice)
Beer bottles = 8
Hedgehog (squashed) = 1
Apple cores = 0
Banana skins = 0
Conclusion:
FOOD, is no longer the preferential snack. Not only did I not find a banana skin but I also didn’t see one apple core, peach stone or anything else resembling fresh food.
I would like to think that perhaps those that eat such ‘endangered species’ are also those more in tune with the environment and, going against all current trends. actually put the skins and cores in the rubbish bins provided. I am going to leave myself with that delusional thought rather than be seen at 6.30am, going through my local bins.
I mean, there are limits to this research.
Now, I know what you are probably thinking and don’t tell me to get a life and to get out more, because this is exactly how this all started – I got out more and didn’t like what I saw. Now the dilemma – it seems socially irresponsible to walk past the ‘subjects’ every day. Should I pick it UP!??
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