A tech worker, fed up with the extensive litter and 'love locks' on the Brooklyn Bridge, took it upon herself to clean it, sparking a community effort and highlighting a global vandalism trend.
On a blisteringly cold day, Ellen Baum, a 37-year-old tech worker, was in a foul mood after reading bad news and seeing the extensive litter on the Brooklyn Bridge. Disturbed by dirty tissues, hair ties, trash bags, socks, and even condoms and tampons affixed to the bridge's frame, she decided to take action. Baum spent eight days and about 16 hours clearing the north side of a littered section, working in 90-minute to two-hour shifts. Her initiative quickly gained local media attention and attracted other concerned New Yorkers to join the cleanup of the 143-year-old National Landmark, which she considers her 'back yard.' The Brooklyn Bridge, traversed by an estimated 28,845 pedestrians daily, has become a dumping ground for 'love locks' and other personal items. This practice, popularized in the mid-2000s and seen globally, involves attaching locks to the bridge and throwing keys into the water, with some opting for less romantic forms of vandalism like tying clothes. Critics, like Dave Colon, call it 'visual pollution' and 'awful garbage.' While the city's Department of Transportation is officially responsible for cleanup and lock removal, Baum and groups like Pick Up Pigeons have stepped in. Despite fines for attaching items to the bridge, people continue to litter, even as Baum cleans. Undeterred, Baum plans to coordinate monthly community cleanups.
