Cover your trash cans

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Two raccoons foraging their way down Newberne St. toward Davis. We regarded each other -- they with bored indifference, I with mild amusement -- before proceeding on our respective ways. Somebody's trash cans will be their dinner; best that it not be yours.

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Contacting Animal Control probably would not be a bad idea.

[subtledagger.livejournal.com]

For what? They're wild animals.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

They're raccoons. It's not like they're enraged bison or something; they're normal inhabitants of urban areas.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

i'm pretty sure the city passed something in the past year that said residents were supposed to keep trash barrels covered to keep rats and raccoons and such from getting into the trash.

i can't find it easily on the city site, and i can't remember if it was a good idea or the law.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

We have that law here in Cambridge. AND THE RACCOONS ARE ANGRY! Not to mention the powerful skunk lobby.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

"the powerful skunk lobby" (snork) thanks, you made my night.

One of my first urban lessons, back in the days when I was svelte enough to run 20 or 30 miles a week: never go running on garbage night.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

"# While stored on your property, all trash must now be held in a waterproof & airtight container with a lid.
# Trash put out for pickup must remain in a container, but does not need to be covered. We encourage residents to remove lids before bringing trash to the curb in order to prevent loss or damage."

http://www.somervillema.gov/spotlight.cfm?id=7

The second bullet point there seems to be, oddly, explicitly pro-raccoon. Perhaps they did not think this through.

[roosto.livejournal.com]

airtight container

They can't mean that literally... I mean is one expected to put their trash in a gigantic tupperware container?

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

It's definitely the law. I got a ticket ($50!!!) the other day for having an uncovered trash can. Ouch.

We see skunks around here...

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Glad to see all these animals in an urban environment!

[livingadream.livejournal.com]

[in-parentheses.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This thread was incomplete without adorable raccoon pictures.

[livingadream.livejournal.com]

No problem. We all need to realize that raccoons are maybe one of the top five cutest wild animals.

Also: your icon is amazing.

I support coons in all of their coony goodness

[davelew.livejournal.com]

Good to know. Now I can walk my dog now Newberne street without him yanking on the leash to get to the leftover hamburger/chicken wing/egg salad or whatever's on the buffet du jour de la 'ville. I believe this morning's entree was a naturally frozen quesadilla on Willow Ave.

As a Davis resident whose dog has food issues and a sensitive nose, I really wish Somerville had either more raccoons or tidier residents.

Re: I support coons in all of their coony goodness

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Could just be that your dogs want to eat some raccoon. There's good eating on one of those.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Composting solves this problem. Leave the food out of the trash cans, and put it into the compost bin (covered, or uncovered if you actually like raccoons and other cure furry critters in your yard).