Monday, May 30, 2011

Don't Fence Me In - A Necessary Evil?



The fence is permanent, it seems. At first I didn't like the idea of a permanent fence around the grass area of the Oval, but upon reflection it is the only way to go in a community where certain people just don't obey rules, and either use the lawn area as a path to get to the other side of the Oval (causing multiple dirt paths) or bring their dogs onto the lawn, with the resultant Fido pee and turds deposited here, there, and everywhere.

So far, things seem to be working, though I did spot a slob with a cigar sitting on a bench right near the open "gate" area of the lawn and letting his pooch meander inside the lawn from his illegally long leash. No doubt, there will be some ill-mannered dog owners who will try to get their dogs fully onto the lawn, and this is where we must speak up, even if it's just to inform security. Let's keep the lawn free of dog droppings and urine! The human and rat residue we can't do much about.

One beef: The presence of outsiders on the lawn. My estimation is that the lawn contains at the very least 20% sunbathers from the Lower East Side. Really, the lawn should just be for the use of Stuy Town/Peter Cooper residences. It gets very crowded on sunny hot days and the overuse of the Oval is a visual blight and contributes to the destruction of the grass.