The Mysterious Somerville Burger

Nora Geoghegan

Staff Writer

On March 2, my family and I went to Boston to attend the Titanic Exhibition. After our time there, we went to Somerville to visit my sister’s apartment and grab some lunch. On our way to lunch, a peculiar object caught my eye. It just so happened to be a partially eaten burger perched on a column on the sidewalk.

The burger contains a bottom bun, cheese, tomato, and some lettuce. The burger is also missing its top bun. The bun was not on the ground, so it was most likely eaten before the rest of the burger was discarded. It also shows signs that it has been sitting in the sun for a while as it looks dry and slightly shriveled.

The origin of the burger is unknown as there were many restaurants in the vicinity. It is also unclear as to why the burger was placed on the column and not thrown away in the trash? Perhaps the person eating the burger was in a rush and decided to leave it as a snack for wildlife in the area, or perched it as a quick way to discard it. It is also possible that the person eating the burger was simply too bothered to properly dispose of the burger.

This picture resides in my camera roll as I find it comical. The prospect of walking down the street and stumbling upon a partially eaten burger is an odd experience that warrants documentation. Sending this picture in a conversation is a funny way to represent the feeling of loneliness or isolation, or even to express feeling being out of place. It also serves as a reminder of a funny memory shared between my family and me.

Despite most educated guesses, the burger’s journey onto the column will forever remain unsolved.