Trip #5 Oakwood Street to Haverhill Street, Homewood South, Pittsburgh took place on June 10, 2017, and was published on July 14, 2017.
I’m hiding in plain sight. Or am I? I’m not sure. I’m in the shadow. I’m against the wall. I’m not blending in, but I’m not standing out. Or am I? When I’m anxious about being noticed it’s because I am missing you and don’t know where you are. Siri is on a smoke break, and I can’t access any directions. So I stay small. Cars and trucks are speeding by. They’re all so fast, windows down, music pounding. A police siren in the distance and then a loud muffler. The sounds are calming as long as I keep my head down. They’re like ocean waves, like the sound of the wind. When I find a moment of silence, I will stand and make my way back to the place where this started.
Field Notes: This is a short flight that runs right in front of an apartment building. I felt a little strange sitting in front of all that, but the cars drive so fast on Oakwood that I don’t think anyone noticed me.
Post Notes: At this point, I realized that the homemade chalk paste I was using was not a good idea. The “juicy” looking square in the iPhone photo is a bit nasty.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
See the Risograph print of this photo and story in the Mis.Steps Shop.
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling. If the location has an abundance of illegal dumping and trash, also contact Allegheny Cleanways, letting them know the location and the nature of the garbage. Thank you!!
