Perhaps you recall, in late January, I highlighted the repurposing of furniture in my fine city (Portlandia). A few weeks back, I captured a perfect example with a mattress leaning up against a street sign near my work. It stayed out in the pouring rain for several days until one morning I saw it slumped down in a pile and later that day gone. Where did it go? Taken for actual use or deemed visual abuse and gathered up dumped? I snapped a pic, but seem to have lost it.
Imagine my surprise, when a couple days ago I came upon a generous offering not two blocks from my work. Seriously, people in this neighborhood really like to repurpose all manner of property.
Like magic, these repurposed gems just appear at first light. I don’t think I have ever seen any repurposer (my word…you can use it) actually repurposing (yes, you can use it) in broad daylight. It must be a night time thing. So, after a torrential downpour, typical of early Spring in Portland, the matt & box was still there the next day. So, one wonders how does one take such a generosity and sleep upon it?
“The moist and damp effect triggers the development of mold and mildew. These dreaded end products give off foul odors and often intensify respiratory problems. Neglecting the wetness of your mattresses can pose as a looming threat to your every day sleep. Your bed will soon transform into a breeding ground for thousands of hazardous bacteria.”
No this is not a job for a hair dryer or fan set on high speed. There is no 90 degree days looming anytime soon in this neck of damp woods. Hmmm, I wonder if there could be a better way to deposit such items so they actual could benefit a person need?
Perhaps the generous repurposer, no doubt full of typical great intentions, ala Portlandia, could figure out how to donate such items or transport them at least to a tent city (there are several in Portland) or at least deposit them under some shelter like a freeway overpass (there is a large collection of folks down underneath the I-84/I-5 interchange (note all the tarps, shopping carts and pallets that could at least temporarily use these items until rousted out. Then the city would be disposed to recycle your offering to the appropriate landfill. I mean if you are going to dump them (oops, repurpose them) anyway, make them count!
Repurposers: Please note the Red X …work your way down underneath into that vicinity beneath the overpasses and donate reasonable items to the several dozen folks that have camped out down in there. Of course, be careful. They may or may not appreciate your good intentions.
