We are eagerly and somewhat curiously awaiting decisive actions to address the issue of dog droppings, whose untimely “presence” is becoming increasingly frequent on the sidewalks of Nice, which could sometimes be dubbed “poop tracks”.
More often than not, the sight is embarrassing and not really in line with the international standing that Nice aspires to.
However, the rules exist and they are clear: One needs to use the gutters or, failing that, pick up with a glove or suitable bag, and then dispose of it in the trash.
Unfortunately, the problem does not lie in the rules, but in the behavior of the owners who, disregarding respect for others and taking advantage of relative anonymity, simply think of their own convenience.
Against this scourge, what can the mayor of Nice, an expert in issuing prohibition decrees, do concretely and effectively?
Set up yet another specialized brigade following the “Fordist” model of the municipal police?
Implement a price modification with reinforced fines based on the principle that hitting the wallet remains the most effective sanction?
Use cameras to detect the guilty party (We are talking about the owner, not the animal, although role reversal would be more than justified in this case)?
Adopt the regulation of the city-state of Singapore where the police have the authority to use the three-pronged whip, accompanying their intervention with what is euphemistically called “corporal punishment”?
Organize an educational course on good conduct for animal lovers (Who, let’s not forget, have recently moved from the status of “chattel” to “beings with sensitivity”) and compel them to have a points-based license like motorists?
We are certain that the ubiquitous mayor, Christian Estrosi, will sooner or later address the issue: Does he not want to resolve, regulate, and decide what happens in the city? A decree and voilà…
But a doubt remains: Beyond the announcement effect, will anything actually change, and how can we ensure that owners adhere to the diktat of rules?
It is true that the elections are behind us, and we do not risk a reaction at the polls, but still… Animal lovers are an electorate that confuses the general interest with their own, who have long memories, and whom politicians in power know very well need to be handled with “kid gloves”.
And in the end, doesn’t stepping in it bring good luck?
