Two chairs set out at the curb waiting to be taken to the dump. They appear structurally sound. Their main offense, other than needing new upholstery, seems to be that they’re out of style. We throw things away here because they’re a little old, we’re tired of them and we can afford new ones. We throw things away because technology has come up with a better one, and we just gotta have it right now.
I really don’t like being part of a throw-away society. I don’t like it that Americans throw things away just because they can. My time in West Africa made me dislike it all the more. Maybe I would feel differently if I were wealthy. But I never will be, so I’ll never know.
Alexandria Daily Photo 
AMEN to that.
Those still look very comfy…
Perhaps the current meetings at the UN have made all of us reflect upon our culture. Many of us really have more than we need, don’t we. Picture and your comments are a bit sobering.
Hear, hear! These are my sentiments exactly.
Where I used to live, we had a “big trash” pickup the first Saturday of the month. That was when you put out things like these chairs—items that the regular trash pickup couldn’t take. First thing on those Saturday mornings, you’d see people trolling the neighborhood with little carts, taking away discarded things that they wanted. So it was kind of an unofficial recycling and much of the stuff didn’t get trashed, but simply “reassigned.” From one of those Saturdays, I have a plain wooden chair that simply needed one of the struts reglued.
Even though it’s actually illegal to take stuff from the curbside, people do it all the time all over the city.
Just when they got broken in and comfy they get tossed out. I will never be part of the throw away society.
they could at least give them to the needy people. those still look usable.
I’m amazed that all of the other commenter agree with this post. I wouldn’t want those things in my home. Many others wouldn’t either. They are old and worn out. Time to get new furniture. Who are we to criticize the person who threw out these chairs? Live and let live always. I enjoy the daily snapshots of Alexandria. Thank you for creating this site.
Jay, reread Santy’s comment. That was exactly the point I was making.
Thank you all for visiting.
You only need a small table & a TV to make it real outdoor living.
here is a good oportunity to mention freecycle.org It’s a great way to get rid of things that would otherwise fill up a landfill. I’ve been thrilled to find homes for items that we no longer need, but that still have many miles in them. I’ve also been surprised to find homes for things that I thought NO ONE would take. Freecycle (or other such groups) are a wonderful (and easy!) way to make a difference.