Washington City Paper: Contents for Mar. 12

Stuck on U
Some say the streets of D.C. are rough. But for knives and grilles and belt buckles, they're just soft enough.

Cover Story

Sometime, at least half a year ago, someone dropped a wristwatch on 11th Street NW. Passing traffic pummeled the timepiece into fragments—most consisting of a few links of the wristband—and strewed them the length of a block. At the north end, the watch back came to a rest. Tires and footsteps packed its pieces into the warm, spongy asphalt, where they hang suspended in plain sight. They are deep enough to stay embedded, yet still bare a polished steel edge to the constant barrage of tires.

Their gleam keeps the question of their provenance alive. Was the owner in too much of a hurry running for a bus to notice when the watch fell off? Was staying on schedule more important than the watch itself? Or was the watch broken, the street a convenient means of disposal?

All over the city, similarly embedded objects catch the sun, beckoning to be noticed. Bottle caps are ubiquitous, but there are also hood ornaments, bolts, radio knobs, door hinges, cans, and innumerable chunks of unidentifiable metal, plastic, and glass. Two halves of a utility knife can be found on U Street NW, each half permanently moored about a foot from the other. And there are discarded personal effects: keys, lighters, jewelry, money, trinkets.

You could stock a car-parts shop with just the pieces found in the city’s pavement. These leftovers from collisions and poorly maintained vehicles testify to our constant need to move on. Lose a chunk of your Honda in a fender-bender but need to get to work? Leave it in the road. Forget to tighten that loose license-plate screw? Don’t worry—the street will give it a home. ... Continued

Issue of Mar. 12 - 18, 2004

News and Features

Stuck on U
Some say the streets of D.C. are rough. But for knives and grilles and belt buckles, they're just soft enough.
Cover Story By Pete Morelewicz
Island Music
Why rock is better solo
Feature By Zack Phillips
Rolling Dispute
Cops wrangle over where to keep their bikes.
The City By Bidisha Banerjee
Pitchers' Duel
Lead-weary D.C. residents have a new hero. Its name is Brita. Or is it PUR?
The City By Annys Shin
Officer Acquitted of Lying
The City By Jason Cherkis
Pop-O-Meter
The City By Tom Scocca
Gun Shy
The Mail By Stanley Davis
Hearing Examiner
The Mail By Carol Schwartz
The Flame Still Burns
The Mail By Sharon J. Chambers
Hop on Pop
The Mail By Alethea Owens

Columns

Paddling Children
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Home Court Disadvantage
City Desk By Erik Wemple
Exit Fare
City Desk By David Morton
Water Proof
Loose Lips By Elissa Silverman

Eats

Franking Privileges
Young & Hungry By Todd Kliman

Movies

Crime and Punishment
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski
Tunnel Vision
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Hidalgo
Film Review By Trey Graham
Lost Boys of Sudan
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Latter Days
Film Review By Sean Daly

Music

Spring
Music Review By Michael Crowley
The Homosexuals' CD
Music Review By Mike Kanin
Voices of a Generation
Music Review By Brent Burton

Theater

Superman and Superman
Theater Review By Trey Graham

Arts and Events

Connecting the Dots
Christina Billotte and her bandmates like gumdrops, dog walking, and vintage rock ’n’ roll. And oh yeah: Once in a while, they like playing music together, too.
Arts By Mark Jenkins
Buns of Steel
Artifacts By Chris Shott
Theme and Variations
Artifacts By Mike Kanin
Prose and Cons
Books By Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow