Would You Trade in Dog Poop for Wi-Fi?

I read on a scurrilous website called Jezebel a story about how a Mexico City park is dealing with dog poop. To encourage people to be vigilant about their collecting and scooping, officials have devised a box with a scale on it. For each dog poop deposited, it measures out a certain amount of free Wi-Fi minutes, so park patrons can enjoy some quality Facebook or email time as a treat.

It begs the question though, really. What about the disparity in poop weights? The guy with the Great Dane certainly will bag way more minutes…and the popular Mexican Chihuahuas will reap meager minutes. The other thing I wonder is if people go looking for poops to put into the box, the way people scavenge for cans.

It’s really an amazing turn around we’ve seen in the past ten years. For all the years I had a dog growing up, nobody ever, ever carried a bag and for God’s sake, no one would PICK UP the poop. But now, if you watch dog owners across the US, they have the bags already tied to the leash. But I think most people draw the line in the woods. No, they aren’t gonna chase their dog down for that reward, even if it means free Wi-Fi minutes.

A few years ago in Paris, I remember seeing so many dog turds that the sidewalk was a minefield. I bet today it will be turd free. The same with cafes, that once were filled with smoke. Somehow Parisiens adapted and no longer feel compelled to smoke everywhere and now they pick up after their dogs. That’s progress.