Water... and trash.

The other day the bf and I went to Media City/Salford Quays (fun fact: for ever I called it Salford Keys. I didn't know it was pronounced QUAYS. I still can't say Quays with a straight face). Nice place. Pretty. It has a lot of potential as an outdoor space (something I think is really missing in Manchester!). I LOVE being next to water. LIving in Manchester is the fursthest I have ever lived from a body of water and it gets to me sometimes. So this was such a nice change to stroll around here near these lake/canals/water things. And the water had geese and swans and that was a really nice change from my standard city scenery. Medial city has a mix of a city vibe but also a close connection to nature and I really enjoy it there. Just take a look at this gorgeous picture I snapped of the beautiful sky:

Nice right? Wrong! The sky was so beautiful and the clouds really popped in the picture, BUT take a closer look and you will see that the beautiful water I was talking about earlier- is FILLED WITH TRASH! Seriously! I could not believe it. Take a closer look:

so. gross.

I was so excited to be here because, for one, it was like the last sunny day we will probably have in Manchester for 9 months. I thought how cool this neighbourhood is, with its up and coming bar and restaurant scene, nice walkways for jogging and walking the dog (one day I will have my own and not just stalk and pet every dog I see...), and especially the water. So wasn't this a bummer to see all this mess. It is just disgusting. And I think everyone should be outraged. Take this Buzzfeed on why Manchester is so great. Funny, number 2 and 17 are referring to this exact area and they look gorgeous! Sure, strip away all the trash and Manchester is really pretty (when it's sunny) (Okay maybe even in the rain I am starting to see its charm). So I think Buzzfeed is doing a bit of false advertising here, because it never looks that clean. Here I am on a sunny day in Manchester, walking along the water front (which I pine for!), and my thoughts are with all that trash sitting and stewing ruining the moment.

Meat Trash

I have just come back from holiday in Minorca. It was amazing with clear skies and ocean so clear and warm it was like a giant swimming pool. I got to chatting to my buddy who told me about @1PieceOfRubbish which is a pretty cool concept and I hope it takes off.

When I got back to Manchester, besides the rain and gloom, I was once again confronted by all this trash. Of course I don't expect things to get done in a week while I am away and to come home to pristine streets... but I guess I did expect that a little. My walk along the roundabout is particularily worse than when I left. Today I found two plastic meat trays side by side! Like what the hell! First- who is discarding these trays just on the road and second- are they cooking the meat? Non of it makes any sense.

And you know what? I think there needs to be some corporate responsibility here because one was a meat tray from Sainsbury's and the other one from Tesco.

Companies should step it up and care that their labels are littered all over town. But Mancunians should too! I mean come on- I know a lot of people who breathe and bleed
Manchester and all its glory, but I see very little effort to make this city a bit better. And when you think of the international reputation this city has, and the crowd it draws, you would think everyone would want to make sure its in good condition. Set a standard. Be a role model. 

Litter picker up thing

So I didn't get the litter-picker-up thing for my birthday. The BF said he believes it is the councils responsibility to provide me with one, so I will just keep trying. As a reminder, I really want the council to provide me a litter-picker up stick so that I can pick up trash on my way to work everyday.

And you know what is exciting? I AM NOT ALONE! Yesterday, on my way home from work I came across an elderly man picking up trash on Higher Cambridge Street. So I stopped to talk to him. He too is upset that the streets are filled with trash, he says there used to be more trash bins around but they're all gone. He had two bags filled with trash that he had picked up in just a block radius around his house. Picture below.

So first I was super excited that someone else in the city thinks it is disgusting. I have felt like I am the only one who cares! So that was reassuring. But second, he was actually doing something! Here I am saying I need my litter-stick to pick up trash, while this old man was hunched over picking it up with this hands! Well good one you man. Put me to shame. So fine council, I will do it with my hands, but how hard would it be to make our lives a little easier and send me a goddamn litter stick!

So far I have tried...

After getting fed up everyday on my way to work, I tried addressing the situation via the city outlets available.

I filled in the online form to request trash pick up via this site. Great, I thought! I can file a complaint and it will get sorted.

Well it didn't.

On June 20th, I emailed the council. I stated that as a council tax paying citizen I expect certain standards. However, I recognised that funds are allocated in all sorts of ways and maybe trash was not their priority. I requested they provide me with a trash-picking-up stick so that everyday on my way to work I can pick up trash.

I never heard back from them. Basically I am willing to provide free labor and beautify the city. I have asked the bf for a trash-picking-up stick for my birthday. We will see if it is granted next week.

On July 18th I got an email from the Manchester City Council from a list serve I had apparently signed up for. It told me about parks, childcare and changes to bin collections. It also said "Want to see a change in your community?" and had a link to an online survey available here. Awesome! I took it. Nothing happened.

On July 28th, I tweeted them. I received a response on August 1st.

Yes. Thank you for your reply..... I've ALREADY DONE THAT!

Trash... can't bear it anymore

This might be a bit of a morbid blog, but frankly I am tired of thinking and complaining about the trash in this city. I am sure my boyfriend is to because if I am not complaining to him about it, then I am yelling out his car window at people who throw litter out their car.

So, this blog is an outlet for me to share and talk about the ridiculously dirty city and hopefully stop antagonising the people around me.

I think this city is beautiful. Okay beautiful is a strong word. It is nice and interesting. Below is a picture I took of the Hilton hotel on the one sunny day we had in 2016. It's pretty right?

But from what I see, people don't seem to care about the city. They litter everywhere. So I am tired of just complaining. I have asked the Manchester City Council to clean up my neighbourhood, I offered to help if they would send me a trash-picking-up stick. I tweeted them. I responded to their online survey. I have never heard from them.

So, I asked the bf to get me a trash-picking-up stick for my birthday and I will pick up trash everyday as I walk to campus. I will blog here about the trash I see and the trash I collect off the streets. If the city won't help me then I will do it myself.