The reason that you see garbage under the overpass is because that's where Provo's less fortunate are forced to camp to get out of the cold winter weather.

Believe it or not, some people don't just go to the Provo River Parkway on the weekends to rollerblade.

Some people are forced to live there because in real life, tenure doesn't protect us. We don't have guaranteed jobs.

Some of us can be jobless in a moment's notice, and be homeless shortly thereafter, forced to live under the bridges to get out of the rain.

Sorry if that's an inconvenience to you.

fedgovernor,

In all of your comments on this site, you exhibit a profound concern for the poor. It's no wonder that you immediately thought to blame them for our garbage.

By the way, we saw a few camps for the homeless, all of whom seem to have the good sense to stay on the non-trail side of the river. Unless they are throwing designer water bottles across the river, I highly doubt that they can be blamed for the garbage I was retrieving.

Congratulations on your son becoming an Eagle Scout! Only about 5% of the boys who enroll in scouting ever earn that honor.

Great project. I wish someone (the city, preferably) would retrieve the rusty cars from the river up the canyon a mile or so.

Careful Gordon,

Nobody is "blaming" the poor. I'm explaining why in an area not designed for human habitation, you might see more garbage collecting under the overpass. It's because people are living there, in a place not designed or equipped for it.

The poor are now forced to live in places where your shortsighted government does not provide proper housing or sanitation services.

In the 14 miles of parkway, there are very few proper places to dispose of garbage, which is why you see it congregating where the people without the job guarantee provided by tenure in the academe are forced to survive.

The poor or not to "blame" for this. A bunch of ivy-league educated economists and masters of the universe are to blame for this.

That's quite the shopping cart. My guess is college freshmen, not homeless, are to blame for that one. The real question is how far down the river did the kid riding in the cart make it before he swam ashore? And how far into the river did he fall when the cart abruptly stopped on the bank?

Congrats to your boys on the eagle scout awards. I have no doubt the second twin will make it as well.

As an Eagle Scout, I can say that's an honor they will take pride in for the rest of their life. And 121 merit badges? That's impressive. I only made it to the fifties (though I did earn the coveted Atomic Energy badge, which required touring an actual nuclear facility).