Photo Credits: Achrafieh2020
Beirut’s Municipal Council met on Tuesday and issued a proposal to Beirut’s Governor Ziad Chbib to ban dogs, motorbikes and Arguile on all sidewalks on the Corniche Waterfront, as well as in Sassine and Horsh Beirut. They also requested that instructions are given to the municipal police to enforce these procedures “for banners and adverts to be erected informing residents and visitors of the new implemented procedures”.
I have no idea how the council managed to include dogs, Arguile and motorbikes in the same proposal. How is walking your dog harming others? I agree that dogs should be on a leash and kept under control but banning them is utterly stupid. In fact, such a decision only punishes responsible guardians and does not address the real problems that dogs and pets in general face in Lebanon.
On another note, the real problem on Beirut’s Corniche and other sidewalks are not dogs, but cars who double and triple parallel park there, as well as small coffee shops that offer car-delivery and cause loads of traffic. Arguile is also an issue but they can easily force people to smoke in specific places instead of banning it all together. As for motorbikes (and cars as well), they are already breaking the law by driving (and parking) on sidewalks and that’s something the police should be taking care of already.
PS: The valet parking companies are also breaking the law right in front of the municipality’s building in Beirut and are hijacking other people’s parking spots and not paying any fines.
Walking your dog doesn’t harm others. The problem is dog owners (or their domestic workers) who don’t pickup after their dogs. I was walking in Hamra one day and the next thing I know I stepped in a pile of dog poo. Most disgusting thing ever.
The solution is to enforce some sort of “picking up after your dog” law and fine people who don’t. Not gonna happen—let’s see them enforce traffic laws first. The other solution is for people to become responsible. Not gonna happen either. So what are you left with? Blanket/blind banning.
Unfortunately that’s the nature of almost anything in this country.
Well said.
Unless there is some sort of miraculous appearance of a civic sense whereby dog walkers pick up after their dogs (yes, I know there are some who do – unfortunately a minority), a knee-jerk ban will forever be the Lebanese bureaucracy’s modus operandi in any situation.
There used to be bag dispensers in Gemmayze on light posts until people started just stealing the bags.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
As for the valet parking….well, they do have bigger wasta than the municipality!
Trust me they don’t make it easy for dog owners either. I used to carry a dog poop bag when I walk my dog, but it was such a hassle since the nearest trash bin on the road was like 5 blocks away.. i’d be walking my dog for 20mins, holding poop in my hand, waiting to reach my house to be able to throw it away. So i just stopped.