Moving to a new city? Thinking of buying a house and wondering what the neighbors are like? What I do when I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to live in a particular area is take a walk up and down the streets. I walk slowly. I take my time. I am observant. I carefully examine the sidewalk, the nature-strip and the grass. Sometimes I even look under the shrubs.
What am I looking for?
Poop.
Life has taught me the following lesson: There are two kinds of people in this world -- people who pick up after their dogs, and people who don't.
The people who pick up tend to be considerate, well-mannered, generous, responsible and friendly. They make good nighbors.
People who don't pick up are often arrogant, rude, contemptuous, nasty and ill-mannered. They let their dogs run loose day and night. They throw lots of loud parties, and their friends park in your driveway and get drunk and vomit on your lawn.
Interestingly, this has got nothing to do with education, or even affluence. I've lived in modest neighborhoods where everyone looks out for everyone else, and I've lived in wealthy neighborhoods full of rich pigs.
For instance. Bao and I spent three days in San Diego last week. We stayed at a lovely hotel on Shelter Island, an idyllic spot with the marina on one side and the bay on the other. I like Shelter Island because it's a pretty place to walk in the morning, and because you don't hear the airplanes as much as you do in other parts of San Diego.
This was an up market holiday. Shelter Island is expensive. Million dollar yachts (and their owners) everywhere. Classy foreign cars. Designer clothes. Nice restaurants.
And dog poop.
Wealthy they may be. But these people don't pick up.
Shelter Island Drive is disgusting.
So go figure.