Passing The Buck On Sweeping Fallen Leaves

December 2, 2011-Occasionally I am accomplished either one or both of my chatting neighborhood buddies on my usually morning stroll. Yesterday morning one of my buddy called if I wanted to join him on a stroll along the wharf areas. He was not too keen on our walk through Chinatown, being from    affluent families, private-school educated and professional occupation; navigating through the crowded sidewalks and watching people spitting or blowing their noses in the sidewalk is not his cup of tea. Although when his wife ask him to pick up some items in Chinatown, my present is required; since I know every nooks and crannies shops plus I am proficient in the language!

I walked down to his place along the 500 block of Chestnut Street. The last several days City weather been strong swirl of winds. I noticed his sidewalk was fill with fallen leaves. I asked him someone got a tough job today. He told me wait until we return from our walk, because the block have "Street Cleaning" this morning.

I asked him what that have to do with leaves on the sidewalk. He told me that majority of those leaves are from the trees in front of the condo complex on the block. He said the trees have never been trimmed nor pruned since the condo been erected all these years. He said every Fall, what the street sweeper do not pick up or neighbors sweep up---Mother's Nature blows the leaves to someone else problems. He said across the street the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center had volunteer trimmed their trees last month. The condo complexes along the 600 block of Chestnut Street have maintenance workers sweep the fallen leaves and gardeners  pruned their trees on the block. He said the condo complexes on his block are either just too cheap or workers too lazy. I asked him did he speak to the workers. He said wait until we get back from our walk.

The morning walk along the waterfront was very exquisitely, mainly because those strong wind gust clear out those dreadful morning fog and replaced it was clear, clean atmosphere. As we return back to his block, there was some kind of commotion near his house. The street had some kind of car accident with police and fire truck present. He motioned to me to watch what the condo maintenance worker doing...

The worker was hurriedly sweeping the fallen leaves to the street. My buddy said this Hispanic worker been doing this for years, instead of picking up the leaves he just sweep it to the street. He said depending on the direction of the swirling winds, the last several days his side of the block was clear of the fallen leaves, while across the street the parked cars and sidewalk were engulfed with almost six-inch high of leaves. I looked across the street there were no leaves and asked him what happened to those leaves. He replied Mother's Nature send them to another neighborhood block.

The accident involved one of the condo complex tenant driving a Subaru, making a left turn into the condo garage, but instead slamming into the rear of the moving street sweeper. The cause: vision obstruction caused by fallen leaves.

The driver of the street sweeper yelled back at the maintenance worker that he should pick up the leaves, since he have already passed the area and not returning. The worker  just ignored the driver comments and  continue sweeping the leaves onto the street.

I told the condo maintenance worker that he should not be sweeping the leaves out into the street. The worker replied in Spanish and my buddy started to laugh. It turned out my buddy confronted this Hispanic worker about this issue last year and the worker told him in Spanish that he do not understand English. I doubt that notion and the worker understood us very well,  since the worker picked up his broom and retreated inside the sanctity of the condo complex. My buddy was glad I was able this morning to observe the worker, since sweeping one's area is one of my pet peeves in life. He later called me in the evening to inform me that maintenance worker never came back out the rest of the day. Mother's Nature help moved half of the fallen leaves on its merry ways.

The action of this condo maintenance worker reminded me of the many occasions on my early morning walk through Chinatown as I watched shop owners or workers prior to open for business sweeping their front areas. The City sweep the businesses section streets of Columbus and Stockton seven days a week. Some of these owners or workers instead of sweeping and picking up the trash in front of their store, would just sweep it back to the street. Then as cars drive by or a gust of wind blow by, the trash suddenly appears back in front of the store. One morning I watched one of the worst case of store owner "clean-up antics." A young arrogant coffee shop owner, whose storefront have a MUNI bus shelter stop in front and a bank ATM next door. A bad combination that invites a whole lot of trashes each morning. The coffee shop owner solution---take out his water hose and start spraying the area, without any regards to passerby or people waiting on the bus shelter. One of the soak commuter called the police and the officer had to explain common sense to the owner, which the owner vehemently arguing that people are animals. The officer stood there for 30 minutes overseeing that the owner behaved properly during the clean-up. If I were the officer, the owner would be arrested and get a first hand experience on how animals really interact in a caged environment.

diehard Hippie sweeping the street and sidewalk along Lombard Street. The Hippie was renting a flat from an Italian landlord, whom inherited three connecting two-unit building from his parents. I knew the landlord from the old days and now currently living in Marin County. I can recall witnessing one afternoon ruckus between the Hippie and the landlord. The Hippie was yelling obscenities and one hand with a water hose spraying the landlord parked car, while the landlord said nothing and walked into one of the building. I asked the Hippie what's the beef...he claims the landlord is worthless and not taking care of his properties---roof and windows leaks. I was able to speak to the landlord several days later...he claims the Hippie deranged from all those years of smoking weeds and 'rent control rules' are the only reason why he was willing to put up with the Hippie antics. I was still intrigue on how much the Hippie hates his landlord but still willingly to sweep up the leaves in front of these three buildings. Then one morning I was walking along the adjacent street and discovered that the Hippie was not as diligent as he seems...

The Hippie never picked up his trashes, but instead sweep it into one big pile by the side of the curbs, and the sidewalk trashes were just sweep to the adjacent sidewalk. I noticed occasionally City Public Works crews sweeping all the piles of leaves along this block, because #1-this block have no regular scheduled "Street Cleaning" and #2-Mother's Nature is kept busy on this corner.

I wonder if this a proverb..."One man's trash is another man's treasure." I do recall someone made a song out of that line!