A homeowner, witnessing their neighbor picking up their dog's poop, was pleased to see them acting responsibly to keep the sidewalk clean. But they were horrified at what the neighbor did next.
"Neighbor throws dog poop bags down storm drain in front of my house," they wrote on the subreddit r/mildlyinfuriating, along with a photo in which the blue plastic bag is clearly visible in the storm drain.
"As a former water department worker, this is a bit more than mildly infuriating," one person observed.
The OP continued, explaining: "We recently moved and saw a neighbor do this and were literally so blown away. … It's really not that difficult to walk the poop home to your trash barrel. I'm not sure how to address this. I was going to send the picture to the city and recommend they put a grate or something blocking trash from being put down there. That or a sign right in front of it on our lawn but that felt like it would be too passive aggressive."
Commenters had plenty of ideas.
"Record him doing it and send the video to your local stormwater dept," one person suggested. "I bet they would have some things to say to him."
Another echoed the idea. "Every time you do it, it will count as a littering infraction. Report to police, makes them pay thousands," they explained.
One person had a slightly alternative approach. "Get one of those trash picker upper pincher thingies, pull them out, and put them on his front step," they said, only half-joking.
Whether it's shoved down a storm drain, left on sidewalks, or even tossed to the side of hiking trails, dog poop is a widespread problem.
And it's more than just unsightly. Dog poop carries bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, and it serves as a breeding ground for disease-carrying pests that endanger plants, animals, and humans. It's so toxic it is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
So, leaving poop out in public? Decidedly un-neighborly.
"There's no excuse for doing this instead of throwing it in the bin," one person vented.
For dog owners who want to take their good behavior one step further, check out TCD's list of planet-friendly dog products.
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