There are usually free things for the taking along Dorchester's streets, especially on trash days. Many people in this ecologically conscious and penny-pinching part of Boston cannot bear to let good things go to waste. Boston's municipal dump was once located here and though part of it has become Pope John Paul II Park along the banks of the Neponset River, Dorchesterites realize that good results don't always come from discarding things that have outlived thier usefulness.
The following advertisement appeared on Craig's List this afternoon: "I have a free washing machine(whirlpool) and dryer(kenmore) in my basement. I have no idea if it works or not...but I just want it out. Call 617-719-8420 if interested. You must bring help to move it. (Location Dorchester)"
This is a neighborly offer in every way. It points out the manufacturers of said appliances in case anyone is observing any boycotts of which the author is unaware. It admits up front that caveat emptor (or, in this case, receptor) is the order of this exchange. It also plainly points out that on-site, manpower is unavailable. Party A has something and Party B is welcome to take it without interference. A+B should equal C: Party B is in possesion of a washer-dryer set of questionable utility. It could be a labor saving jackpot or it could be a waste of time for everyone but Party A.
Many people in Boston's more fashionable neighborhoods question the utility of having Dorchester as part of the larger, civic body. It is a blind spot on their part. Dorchester may be full of cast-offs, but most of what is neglected can be put to good use. Everything discarded can be recycled, and there is also a rich vein of talent and undiscovered elements in the Dot that hasn't come close to being tapped. No one looks. Good students don't advertise on Craig's List while lawbreakers are broadcasted every day in the popular news.
2 comments:
Hey there WHK -
I thought I'd drop you a line to let you know that you, and Dorchester, are not alone in your perceptions of being a less desired segment of Boston. We often get the same sentiment in Eastie.
Gotta love those trash day finds and Craig's List giveaways though I think their more of a product of socioeconomics than geography.
Thanks, Eastie Girl. It's a shame too because I really enjoy East Boston and in some ways find it more congenial than Dorchester, being overall more urban and compact. I've had a lot of good times there.
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