Afternoon search for mattresses finds 92

An attempt to identify and give location to 50 mattresses in a four-hour time frame eventually resembled any election night.

The search began at 12 noon and started slowly but knowing the city demographics and social conditions, major numbers were expected in Latino neighborhoods based on the fact that the city fails to dispense information in Spanish for them to know about how to dispose of mattresses.

Secondly, significant scores were expected in areas blitzed by generational poverty and the city’s indifference to people living on the brink of nothingness. People eventually don’t give a (expletive) if they witness enough crime, violence and deterioration of property and souls.

You bury a loved one, have a drink or smoke a blunt. And drag a mattress into an alley. Who cares? By the way, the final count ended at 92 and exactly at 4 p.m.

This journey through Trenton reached only a small segment of neighborhoods impacted by mattresses left on corners like the five on Pearl St. near Hudson St. A dark, dense alley between Monmouth and Chambers streets offered a perfect hiding place for 23 mattresses found there. Easy to imagine hundreds of mattresses not collected because they were not wrapped in plastic, a city edict enacted to protect solid waste management workers from contacting bedbugs as if those critters never linger in sofas, desks, clothing and other items.

At least 92 mattresses are accounted for which gives the city almost exact locations if officials understand that this lurks as a serious quality of life issue and produce a way to confront this crisis.

A Sunday feature will examine the process of rummaging through streets, alleys and backyards that produced interesting discoveries including hundreds of tires dumped not far from The Trentonian building. Or how about a boat packed with automobile tires tucked in the woods of Rossell Ave.?

We did find two mattresses wrapped in plastic and ready for pickup on Washington St. near Kent St.

Drove through many fantastic neighborhoods with residents who take pride in their homes. A special recognition for residents living at 1607 Chestnut Ave. Spectacular.

So, that’s a wrap until Sunday’s edition. The thought of sleeping on a clean mattress and fresh sheets sounded spectacular as my computer shut down.

L.A. PARKER — THE TRENTONIAN A search for discarded mattresses around Trenton yielded 92 mattresses and box springs in just a four-hour journey including these at Oakwood Alley off Gladstone in the East Ward.