Still others fire up circular saws, drills, and Shop-Vacs as they remodel their houses. In the yard behind us, tenants barbecue chicken on warm summer nights. A thrifty neighbor collects huge bags full of discarded soda cans. Every Tuesday, on trash collection day, Chinese and Vietnamese old people who live in the nearby housing projects tear apart our garbage sacks on the street, looking for recyclable aluminum and glass. School children leave chewing gum wads on the sidewalk.
Dogs poop here and there, and some dog owners just leave it.
I think the answer is obvious. The baby boom generation has now reached that critical age, their late forties and early fifties. They have finally realized that they're going to die. Baby boomers are famous for their infatuated self-regard. Their trashing of traditional consolations and supports, especially religion.