It is known as waste to the land that is not used with a productive purpose. This adjective is also used to qualify land that is not built on or is not used for a defined purpose. For example: “Last minute! They found a woman with her throat cut in a vacant lot “, ” It cannot be that the land we inherited from our grandfather is a vacant lot: we would have to give it some use “, ” Until a month ago this corner was a vacant lot, now it’s a beautiful park where they play the children of the neighborhood ”.
The wastelands are often seen as a social problem. By not being taken advantage of, they are usually left abandoned and without any kind of care. That is why in these areas garbage accumulates, weeds grow and different types of vermin inhabit.
Wastelands, on the other hand, are unsafe spaces. They tend to lack lighting, a characteristic that makes them frequent sources of criminal activity. It is not uncommon for the media to report the discovery of corpses that have been thrown into a vacant lot, or of murders, rapes or robberies that have been carried out in these spaces.
Given the conditions of the vacant lots, in which the aforementioned lack of lighting predominates, one of the recommended measures for anyone is to avoid traveling through these lands whenever possible; Otherwise, if for reasons of force majeure someone must cross a wasteland, then they must carry at least one flashlight to scare away those criminals who prefer to act in total darkness. Anti- rape sprays are also ideal for these situations, although their use is not as widespread in certain countries.
The local government should be aware of the presence of vacant lots, but this should not prevent citizens from approaching the appropriate office to report any situation that they consider dangerous or harmful to themselves and their neighbors. It goes without saying that there should be no places where crime proliferates, and that all waste should be deposited in public containers so that collectors can do their job properly.
Out of all the negative aspects that a vacant lot can have, given the insecurity that it entails due to the potential installation of criminal gangs and the problems of contamination due to the accumulation of waste, there are also some in which it is possible to enjoy a good time outdoors without these dangers. There are clean and safe wastelands, free of garbage and criminals, spaces of land to which no use has been assigned and which are not maintained by their owners.
In a safe and debris-free wasteland, there can be quiet gatherings of people and animals who may not have access to a proper natural area. Large cities often have several of these terrains, and dog lovers treasure them as if they were desert islands that they have conquered after several months adrift in the ocean: while animals enjoy the open space without the restrictions found in public parks, their human parents relax and play with them with an ease that is not possible at home.
In a symbolic sense, something is referred to as wasteland when it is infertile, futile, or unfounded: “The presidential candidates spent two hours in a wasteful debate that did not contribute anything to society, ” “I am not interested in a wasteful dialogue with my ex-wife, I just want her to comply with what the judge ruled “, ” Minutes after the fact, the young woman decided to end the empty conversation with the officer and left for her home. “
