My friend from work Mark invited me to a trash pickup in the Hillsdale neighborhood in Southwest Portland. It was organized by SOLV, which I learned stands for Save Oregon from Litter and Vandalism. The weather was overcast but cooperative. We spent the morning picking up trash along the Multinomah Boulevard on/off ramps to Interstate 5. In addition to countless latte/coffee cup tops, I found two bicycle wheels and a Pennsylvania Drivers License. At one point Mark and I were under a overpass that had severed as shelter for a homeless person. It was sad to see several empty tequila bottles discarded on the ground. As we picked up the litter some drivers honked to show support, while others left me with the impression that they saw us as an obstacle to get to their destination. Mark, who had grown up in New Jersey, told me that he thought Portland was so much cleaner than his home town.
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