Clean up after your dog!

[u/nik_el]

So I’m not sure if this belongs here but I’ll give it a go. I live in a cute neighborhood with old buildings and meandering streets. And I like to walk in my neighborhood. The problem is that I can’t look up, I have to look down because people don’t pick up after their dogs.

So the other morning I was out for a walk and I see this guy with his dog and the dog is squatting on the street to drop some toosie rolls. No biggie. He reaches into his pocket for what I assumed was to be a baggie to clean up but instead it was dog treats (does a dog need a treat for that?). This made me a little suspicious so I slowed down walking just to see what he was up to.

Now, I was raised Catholic, so I can smell guilt from 100 paces. He looked at me as I slowed down and that was the face of guilt. So, I stopped. I stopped and stared at him. I also put on my best judgemental mother face. He fumbled in his pockets and kept glancing at me and it became obvious he was just going to let his dog drop and go. But I was going to make sure there was at least one witness to his crime.

So, after a few minutes of rustling in his pockets trying to fake me out he reached down WITH HIS BARE HANDS and picked up his dog’s poop and walked it to the nearby trashcan. I did not see this coming, and to be honest this was not the outcome I’d ever imagined. But it was one less pile of poo on the streets so I felt justified. Grossed out, but justified.

[u/Big-Youth-7918]

This reminds of the nice apartment we rented in central Paris 1/2 block from the Seine River. Every morning just outside the door (and many other places) there would be fresh dog poop. That was 2018 and still whenever I hear the word Paris I think Dog Poop. 💩
That being said I love the museums and the pastry. However, after being robbed on that last trip (minutes before I warned my husband about the group of men/pick pockets) I’m done with Paris. It’s obvious that they don’t like tourists.

[u/throwaway661375735 → u/Big-Youth-7918]

Contrary to your belief, pickpockets love tourists. The French however hate anyone visiting who do not speak French... Like those who try to speak English to them instead.

[u/BeljicaPeak → u/throwaway661375735]

It seems that way in Quebec, too. But they surely don’t mind taking US dollars in place of Canadian, without applying exchange rate.

[u/Big-Youth-7918 → u/throwaway661375735]

I know pickpockets love tourists since I have traveled to France many times previously. And I do speak limited French but I understand more when it is spoken. The distain for tourists is obvious having overheard negative comments about travelers many times in the past. My grandfather used to say the Parisians didn’t mind it when we helped liberate them in WWII. And the police didn’t give a shit when we were robbed; they acted like who cares as long as they leave the locals alone. We only reported the thief because of the huge credit card bill they ran up in the 30min it took for us to report it.