Why?
Garbage lying around next to the garbage cans and bins is such a common site in Armenia these days, that nobody seems to pay any attention to it. Still, today I just couldn’t let it go…
I try to understand people, who throw something in the street, because then can’t find a garbage can. I said - I try! But what do I call those, who have put these plastic bags full of garbage right next to the empty garbage can? Why, people? Why?
PS: After writing this post I understood, that I’m the biggest pig of all! After taking the photo, I spared the effort and didn’t pick up the plastic bags to put them in the empty garbage can! I just left it there as it was! Maybe it has something to do with my Armenian Genetics???
There’s an interesting explaination for this that many Armenians use to decry the situation. That is, Armenians are not used to any sense of “ownership” of their own country. Therefore they don’t give a damn about the state of the streets, their backyards, what’s happened to the parks etc. To justify this explaination I’m usually asked have I ever seen anyone’s home looking in a mess?
Of course, the answer is no which according to these guys therefore indicates that Armenians only care about what “belongs” to them. In this case, it’s not their country or their community. It’s their families and their apartments.
Comment by Onnik Krikorian — 12/12/2006 @ 3:55 pm
Thanx Onnik for mentioning that over-explaining super-cause of all troubles and excuses the Armenians like to bring when it becomes to their unacceptable behaviour…
“Oh yes, don’t blame us - we’re sorry, but we lived 70 years in a Soviet country… we still don’t have civil society, we still don’t feel we own this country…”
So - what do we do about it? Live some 55 more years (70 - 15 years of independence) till everybody starts feeling ownership???
Comment by Observer — 12/12/2006 @ 5:10 pm
Well, that’s a good point. I mean, I understand the logic, but as you point out, if it’s being used to excuse no sense of ownership rather than people actually creating one, it’s self-defeating.
Anyway, a lot of things are tied in to the culture in place here. i.e. people think of leaving rather than staying and changing the situation, and this is especially the case when it comes to democracy, corruption and the lack of the rule of law.
Where to start, though? With ourselves? Maybe, although don’t expect many to follow in the short-term at least. Perhaps education and the next generation is key, although I think I’ve also heard everybody say the the next generation will be the one to really change things.
However, we’re still waiting, and in some areas I think we’ve actually regressed.
Last thing, though, the people who gave that explainatin weren’t using it to justify the situation, but explain it. They also pointed out that it isn’t just the Soviet era they were referring to but centuries under Ottoman, Persian and Russian rule.
Anyway, other than, I agree. What do we do about it?
Comment by Onnik Krikorian — 12/12/2006 @ 5:43 pm
Folks, there is actually a method to the particular madness you have photographed.
Bags of trash are placed by the side of the orange bins, and small hand-held litter goes inside them - otherwise they’d fill up too quickly and all the litter would go on the floor. It’s actually a good system (short of bigger trash cans).
Comment by Raffi Kojian — 12/17/2006 @ 8:11 am
I agree, this might be the case for residential district, like on Komitas street for example. Still, this bin is right in the middle of Isahakyan street, across the “Aragast” cafe, so this bin and the ones next to it (all within 5-10 meters of distance from each other) usually stay empty.
Moreover, I wouldn’t call these bags “big” so they could easily classify as hand-held litter? Well, maybe not… and although your comment is quite valid, but it is completely ruining the whole morale and mode of my post
I start feeling stupid for not thinking of it earlier!!!
Comment by Observer — 12/17/2006 @ 9:53 am
Look at the bright side - at least there is a garbage bin that gets emptied regularly. And the trash placed next to it is in a bag.
Comment by nazarian — 12/17/2006 @ 7:50 pm
You should see my communal garbace bins. It becomes a mountain of garbage that covers several square meters right next door to a kindergarten so bad is the refuse collection in my part of town — Komitas.
Comment by Onnik Krikorian — 12/19/2006 @ 2:38 pm