Car talk became litter talk

LEASIDE LITTERATI

It was the lure of winning a free car that prompted me to respond to Mazda’s request to complete a survey on my latest car servicing experience at Gyro Mazda.

Most of the questions were a satisfaction ranking. The final question was asking for comments. So I thought… what the heck…why not talk to them about the litter that accumulates from time to time on their properties?

After all I had just picked up a grocery bag full of litter on my walk home from Laird to Rumsey, much of it around their lot entrance (never leave home without a grocery bag). And my new approach is to hold people accountable for their own litter rather than feeling like I have to pick up every piece of trash I see. I told my husband what I had done and his comment was, “You’ll never win the car now.”

I’m delighted to report that I received a reply from Gyro Auto Group of Companies a few days later thanking me for taking the time to share my feedback.

“We will be working with our team members in looking into ground cleaning and upkeep. We would love our store to look clean and mess-free as much as possible.”

I suggested that as Laird has such a diverse landscape, auto shops, office buildings, restaurants, retail… it would be nice if there were a BIA (Business Improvement Area), as there now is on Bayview (they are off to a great start) to bring the community together to improve its look and feel and cleanliness.

Gyro could act as inspiration and a catalyst for change. And I told them a little bit about my mission to de-litter Leaside and restore the beauty of a community that takes pride in its surroundings.

I was heartened by their response.

“Of course the community in the neighbourhood (of) the business should work together to make surrounding areas the best it can be. It’s nice to hear and we try our best to part take with the community.”

So the moral of this story is, businesses in Leaside are happy to receive feedback and they want to contribute to our community in a positive way.

I’ll let you know if I win the car.

About Cheryl Vanderburg 48 Articles
Cheryl Vanderburg writes the monthly column "Leaside Litterati." She is a local 'plogger' who combines her love of walking with picking up litter. She hopes to inspire all Leasiders to join this newest craze to stay fit and keep our neighborhood green and clean.