An industrial-strength shredder and a giant dumpster were stationed at Duffy Square on 46th Street on Sunday, as part of the second annual “Good Riddance Day,” an event sponsored by the Times Square Alliance, organizers of the New Year’s Eve ball-dropping celebration.
Organizers hope the event will become an annual tradition, as many New Yorkers seem to be in need of the service.
“[Last year] I used scissors, imagine that. [It took] at least two days,” said Lynn Sma, a teacher living in Bronx.
“It actually is a very convenient option and I wish they were going to extend it for another three hours, because then I would actually go and get my other things, and bring them here and get rid of them for the whole rest of the year.” Said Sma.
After a year of depressing bank statements, memories of fallen stocks, and even the heartache of lost loves “Good Riddance Day” is a way to shed and shred the painful memories of what went wrong in 2008.
“I feel good about the fact that I unloaded a whole bunch of junk in my apartment. And now I have to actually unload more things. So that’ll make me feel lighter—less bulk,” said Sma.
She stayed until the end of the event to watch her old bills, old loan statements, 10-year-old documents, and her students’ assignments being eaten by the shredder.
Participants at this year’s event were more innovative than organizers had expected. Notes such as “neighbor’s loud TV” and “stock market” were written on paper slips and fed into the shredder.
Jay Ballesteros, a city resident, brought a sock symbolizing all the unpaired socks that came out of his laundry over the year. Ballesteros was awarded for his creativity with a $250 prize.
The event gave participants a chance to relieve themselves of any painful, sad, or all around bad memories from 2008 by shredding, trashing, or smashing them to pieces. 2009 will now see a fresh start for many.
