Posted July 21, 2005

By Kevin Devlin

     Things that people do annoy others.  Sure they do.  It certainly annoys me to the point that I merely shake my head in disbelief.  So, I'd like to share my thoughts, my frustations with you, and see what you think.  And, I also intend to share the thoughts of others.

     I received some great feedback from some local residents about our gripes, especially about litterbugs. I guess they’re everywhere, not only on our streets, but also on our beaches.

      Local avid beachgoer Brian Sheehy has one message for people who go to “M” Street Beach and don’t pick up after themselves. His message is simply, “Don’t come. Go somewhere else.”

     Brian loves spending his leisure time at the beach with friends but also likes to enjoy the scenery, that being a clean beach. Twice during the past two weeks, Brian has taken it upon himself to clean up the beach. With garbage bag in hand, Brian walked the entire beach picking up the litter of others. He’s not too happy about that and is annoyed by the inconsideration of others. So, if you’re a litterbug, don’t forget his message.

      Roslindale resident James McManus, whose mother was born and raised on Telegraph Street, spent many a day as a young man playing with friends behind Saint Augustine’s Church. He said in those days Southie was clean, but today, he only shakes his head in disbelief. Jimmy Mac, as he is called by friends, walks the Island on a regular basis and is astonished concerning the amount of litter he sees. Like Brian, he has taken the time to pick up litter and throw it in the nearby barrels.

      Southie mom Babe (McDonough) Noonan, who works at the Island Store at East Sixth and “N” Street, doesn’t get mad easily, but last week was the exception. She was at the Lagoon when she saw this family packing up to leave the beach. As they were leaving, they forgot to do one thing, pick up their litter, their paper cups, tonic cans, etc. Perturbed, Babe told them to pick up their litter and throw it in the barrel. They just shrugged their shoulders intimating that they didn’t understand her, that they didn’t speak English. Now, with smoke coming out of her ears, Babe emphatically pointed to the ground, raised her voice, and told them to pick up their litter. I think she got her point across.

     Lifelong resident Ann (Connolly) Matacunas is also a member of our anti-litter crusade. Ann walks up “L” Street to work on a regular basis and is dismayed at how dirty the street is all the time. She sadly wonders why the people on this street don’t pitch in to keep it clean.

      On another issue, Ann isn’t too happy about our bus stop problem. She feels that the MBTA should stop the East Eighth Street bus route and channel it via Broadway. She watches the bus drivers along this street and continuously notices that they don’t even pull into the curb at the bus stops, so why have them. As far as she is concerned, this would free up spaces for residents who can’t find a place to park, and they wouldn’t have to worry about being ticketed or having their vehicles towed.

     Some may think its funny, but being fined and towed is a costly experience.

     And in reality, it is an unnecessary and unfair practice when one ponders the questions when arriving late (or not late) at home, “Well, where can I park, there’s no more spaces.”
(Writer’s note: People do annoying things that really bother us, all of us, so what’s your gripe? Send them to SBOL)