[ESSAY] A Very Problematic Poop
Title: A Very Problematic Poop
Author: bakacoconut69
Genre: Essay
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Author’s Notes: Written for my English 101 class. The IDEA was epic, but the essay didn't turn out to be such.
Do you have a dog? In west Seattle, many devoted pet owners take their dogs over to Westcrest Park. Within that park are a wide variety of people and dogs. Covering over 80 acres, the park consists of several on-leash paths and off-leash areas. Other than the dogs that are taking a daily stroll with their owners are people who just fancy a walk or jog through the wooded areas along the various paths. One problem that a lot of people find along the paths: dog poop. It’s entirely difficult to go any length of the way without stepping in some random dog’s fecal matter or performing some kind of maneuver to avoid it. While signs are posted throughout the vicinity of the area, many people are known for not picking up after their beloved companions and leaving the smelly piles for the next unsuspecting victim who might pass by that way. These piles become both part of the makings for a smelly environment and a messy problem for the bottom of someone’s shoe that leaves the unfortunate individual to ask one thing: why?
Based on the countless number of dog poop piles I have personally stepped in, only a select number of people pick up after their dogs on the path. So I decided to count and see if I could get a concrete number. Late one weekday afternoon, I found a path that went in a large circle through a lower part of the wooded area. I decided to circle it until I passed twenty people with dogs. Out of the twenty people passed, twelve picked up the piles that their dog left in the middle of the path. When approached with questions as to why they take the time and effort to pick up after their dog, I was faced with surprised looks, but they were always willing to answer. The following answers were among the most frequent: “common courtesy,” “there are signs that say to clean up the dog poop,” “it creates a better environment,” and “one can receive a fine for not obeying the law.”
The other eight people of this small census that did not pick up their dog’s leavings were more hesitant to answer any questions. When asked why they left their dog’s fecal matter in the middle of the path, most of them could not give a specific reason. Five of them just gave me a confused and disgusted look before walking away. I would then proceed to ask the ones that stuck around to answer if they were aware that they could be fined if they were caught leaving their dog’s feces in the middle of the path like that. Two of the pet owners responded with a no and agreed to keep that in mind while walking their dogs. Overall, those that left their dog’s droppings on the path that day were less than willing to answer questions and did so reluctantly.
After the relatively quick observation that day, I decided to see if I could find another approach to the topic: influence. Did having someone else on the same path influence the impulse, or lack thereof, for one to pick up after their dog? Deciding on this more subtle approach, I walked over to the park in the late afternoon. The time of day when the park would be most busy. I went along that same path until I found a safe place to conceal myself in a well-shaded tree. Within twenty minutes, thirteen people had passed and seven of them were the same people I had seen the day prior when I had first started conducting my research. All were seemingly unaware of my presence and while only a small number of those people had to stop as their dog pinched one off, only two of them took the time to pick up the mess. An odd thing I noticed about those two specific people was that they did not pick up after their dog the day before. Best guess would be that my questions influenced their decision to pick up the messy piles that day. Out of the entirety of the group, four of the people were ones that picked up after their dog the day before when I met them on the path. Three of those four did not look twice at the messy pile and continued on their merry way.
Based on the findings of this very short study, the majorities of dog walkers do pick up the dog poop off the path and properly dispose of it when they come in contact with other people. The greater number of those that did not pick up after their four-legged friend did not give any viable reason as to why they did or did not. Regardless of why people do or do not pick up after their dogs on the park paths, leaving smelly piles of dog poop that vary in size, it still provides a problem for the people that are forced to walk past it or unknowingly step in it. Unfortunately, on my frequent walks through the park, I often find myself a victim of people’s carelessness. Having random fecal matter stuck to the bottom of your shoe is rather smelly and unpleasant to clean off, and I am sure many people within the park would agree. It would be wise for people to make it a point to request to dog walkers to pick up after their dogs, should they come across a culprit.
Author: bakacoconut69
Genre: Essay
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Author’s Notes: Written for my English 101 class. The IDEA was epic, but the essay didn't turn out to be such.
Do you have a dog? In west Seattle, many devoted pet owners take their dogs over to Westcrest Park. Within that park are a wide variety of people and dogs. Covering over 80 acres, the park consists of several on-leash paths and off-leash areas. Other than the dogs that are taking a daily stroll with their owners are people who just fancy a walk or jog through the wooded areas along the various paths. One problem that a lot of people find along the paths: dog poop. It’s entirely difficult to go any length of the way without stepping in some random dog’s fecal matter or performing some kind of maneuver to avoid it. While signs are posted throughout the vicinity of the area, many people are known for not picking up after their beloved companions and leaving the smelly piles for the next unsuspecting victim who might pass by that way. These piles become both part of the makings for a smelly environment and a messy problem for the bottom of someone’s shoe that leaves the unfortunate individual to ask one thing: why?
Based on the countless number of dog poop piles I have personally stepped in, only a select number of people pick up after their dogs on the path. So I decided to count and see if I could get a concrete number. Late one weekday afternoon, I found a path that went in a large circle through a lower part of the wooded area. I decided to circle it until I passed twenty people with dogs. Out of the twenty people passed, twelve picked up the piles that their dog left in the middle of the path. When approached with questions as to why they take the time and effort to pick up after their dog, I was faced with surprised looks, but they were always willing to answer. The following answers were among the most frequent: “common courtesy,” “there are signs that say to clean up the dog poop,” “it creates a better environment,” and “one can receive a fine for not obeying the law.”
The other eight people of this small census that did not pick up their dog’s leavings were more hesitant to answer any questions. When asked why they left their dog’s fecal matter in the middle of the path, most of them could not give a specific reason. Five of them just gave me a confused and disgusted look before walking away. I would then proceed to ask the ones that stuck around to answer if they were aware that they could be fined if they were caught leaving their dog’s feces in the middle of the path like that. Two of the pet owners responded with a no and agreed to keep that in mind while walking their dogs. Overall, those that left their dog’s droppings on the path that day were less than willing to answer questions and did so reluctantly.
After the relatively quick observation that day, I decided to see if I could find another approach to the topic: influence. Did having someone else on the same path influence the impulse, or lack thereof, for one to pick up after their dog? Deciding on this more subtle approach, I walked over to the park in the late afternoon. The time of day when the park would be most busy. I went along that same path until I found a safe place to conceal myself in a well-shaded tree. Within twenty minutes, thirteen people had passed and seven of them were the same people I had seen the day prior when I had first started conducting my research. All were seemingly unaware of my presence and while only a small number of those people had to stop as their dog pinched one off, only two of them took the time to pick up the mess. An odd thing I noticed about those two specific people was that they did not pick up after their dog the day before. Best guess would be that my questions influenced their decision to pick up the messy piles that day. Out of the entirety of the group, four of the people were ones that picked up after their dog the day before when I met them on the path. Three of those four did not look twice at the messy pile and continued on their merry way.
Based on the findings of this very short study, the majorities of dog walkers do pick up the dog poop off the path and properly dispose of it when they come in contact with other people. The greater number of those that did not pick up after their four-legged friend did not give any viable reason as to why they did or did not. Regardless of why people do or do not pick up after their dogs on the park paths, leaving smelly piles of dog poop that vary in size, it still provides a problem for the people that are forced to walk past it or unknowingly step in it. Unfortunately, on my frequent walks through the park, I often find myself a victim of people’s carelessness. Having random fecal matter stuck to the bottom of your shoe is rather smelly and unpleasant to clean off, and I am sure many people within the park would agree. It would be wise for people to make it a point to request to dog walkers to pick up after their dogs, should they come across a culprit.