The Stinking Rose (Parade)

Depending on how enthusiastically you rang in the New Year, you likely spent the first morning of 2010 enjoying the annual spectacle that is the Tournament of Roses Parade. But it’s after the 750,000 spectators clear out and the television cameras switch off that the real show begins: the cleanup.

"I think it's become a tradition [for spectators] to leave their trash behind. It's kind of like movie-theater syndrome," Ann Erdman, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, Calif., told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

The 70-person Pasadena Department of Public Works is tasked with collecting the 65 to 75 tons of trash left along the 5.5-mile parade route. According to the Tribune, crews start at either end of the route, removing large items that might impede foot or car traffic. From 10:30 p.m. New Year’s Day to 7:30 a.m., Jan. 2, the remaining debris is swept into the street and scooped up for collection before street sweepers make a final pass. Given the tremendous volume of trash that must be cleared in a short amount of time, none of the material is recycled.

Still, it’s better than cleaning up after the elephants.

Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune