The Sub-literates. Are You Driven to pick up their Litter?

[T.G.G. Moogly]

It's simply not satisfying to take a walk and see litter strewn about along the way. It is one of those quality of life issues for me. So I will regularly take a bag along and collect the trash so that my next walk is more rewarding. Had to do that this morning.

The other day I was watching a video about the pyramids and it looked like viewing litter was simply part of the tour. I suppose it is a standard of living issue and many countries simply toss their trash to wherever it lands.

Still, it's somewhat sad that here in the US people can be so thoughtless.

 

[Rhea]

Yeah, I pick up trash on trails hikes, too. There’s someone on our street who regularly tosses their fast food trash out the window. I can’t imagine that act. “Oh, I don’t want my wife to see that I got a burger, I’ll just toss it in the street here!”

 

[steve_bank]

\Then there are those who rant about the environment and at the same time engage in mass consumerism generating throw away junk by the ton. All those electronics gadgets take electricity which demand's more power generation.

And there are those who flush the toilet and put out the garbage can oblivious to where it all goes.


As the Pogo cartoon of a trash filled forest said, we have met the enemy and he is us. It is really all of us in the bigger picture. The economy is based on mass throw away consumerism.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

\Then there are those who rant about the environment and at the same time engage in mass consumerism generating throw away junk by the ton. All those electronics gadgets take electricity which demand's more power generation.

And there are those who flush the toilet and put out the garbage can oblivious to where it all goes.


As the Pogo cartoon of a trash filled forest said, we have met the enemy and he is us. It is really all of us in the bigger picture. The economy is based on mass throw away consumerism.

What is your point? You seem to be saying that unless something is done perfectly it is not worth doing.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Yes. This particularly bothered me when I worked in Yosemite NP. The end of tourist season was quite bad. How could anyone could go to such a beautiful place and toss their trash out on the road and parking areas? Why go? Stay home piggy people. At least I got to reuse any plastic shopping bags I had, to collect trash. Then again, my efforts were likely offset by the extra air pollution I created by stopping and starting my vehicle along the road. Oh well, I guess the only best answer would be to turn litterbugs into compost.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I've got a container of doggie bags on my pack for picking up litter on the trail.

What really gets to me is when I find doggie bags beside the trail!

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

At the playground, yeah, all the time.

I have always wanted to exit my car at a red light, after someone tossed a cigarette butt out their window, pick it up and toss it back in saying ‘you dropped this’. With any luck, the car will burst into flames. That’s the dream at least.

Damn litterers!

 

[Politesse]

I used to do that when I was a teenager, until the other students caught on to it and started deliberately dropping trash in front of me whenever I walked by. Or on a few memorable occasions, throwing it at my head and saying "don't worry, the f** will eat it".

It kind of put me off playing nature's maid, though I will still intervene if there is especially egregious litter in a place that ought to be wild.


This one time, I found myself following an incredibly drunk man for about half a mile. He kept falling down alarmingly (it was an urban trail, but one that gets some elevation) and dropping live cigarettes into the dry leaves that were below our feet; I didn't know what to do except follow behind at a distance and pick them up before they caused a wildfire. Thank goodness, the trail was not a long one and there happened to be an Ohlone park ranger at the other end of it, much more beefy than I and readier to cope with the situation.

 

[steve_bank]

\Then there are those who rant about the environment and at the same time engage in mass consumerism generating throw away junk by the ton. All those electronics gadgets take electricity which demand's more power generation.

And there are those who flush the toilet and put out the garbage can oblivious to where it all goes.


As the Pogo cartoon of a trash filled forest said, we have met the enemy and he is us. It is really all of us in the bigger picture. The economy is based on mass throw away consumerism.

What is your point? You seem to be saying that unless something is done perfectly it is not worth doing.

It is what I said. Griping about trash on road while filling your garbage can with disposable stuff or getting a new wireless device for the fun of it is a bit of a cognitive disconnect.

The Pogo cartoon says it all.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...CB7BE39B84&form=IQFRBA&first=1&cw=1129&ch=417

 

[southernhybrid]

I can't walk far anymore, but I almost never see trash on the roads here. It could be because those arrested for DUI are usually made to do community service, which involves picking up trash on the roadways. Several years ago, I'd find trash in my front yard once in awhile, that some jerk had probably thrown out of a car, but I haven't even seen that in years, but if I did, of course, I'd pick it up.

 

[Elixir]

When we built our current house, it was literally in the wilderness. Now, subdivision encroaches on two sides of our property, and one of those sides is the upwind side in prevailing winds.
I am sick to death of cleaning up WalMart bags, styrofoam insulation and other lightweight debris from both construction companies and residents. It is very tempting to collect it all and dump it on the developer's office doorstep, but I need to maintain relationships because at some point we will need to negotiate with them if we want to get full value out of our 700+ feet of river frontage... meanwhile, it is infuriating beyond description, but we will keep cleaning up after the inconsiderate bastards.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

\Then there are those who rant about the environment and at the same time engage in mass consumerism generating throw away junk by the ton. All those electronics gadgets take electricity which demand's more power generation.

And there are those who flush the toilet and put out the garbage can oblivious to where it all goes.


As the Pogo cartoon of a trash filled forest said, we have met the enemy and he is us. It is really all of us in the bigger picture. The economy is based on mass throw away consumerism.

What is your point? You seem to be saying that unless something is done perfectly it is not worth doing.

It is what I said. Griping about trash on road while filling your garbage can with disposable stuff or getting a new wireless device for the fun of it is a bit of a cognitive disconnect.

The Pogo cartoon says it all.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...CB7BE39B84&form=IQFRBA&first=1&cw=1129&ch=417

If everyone lived like me we would have 1/100th the pollution and trash we have today.

Are you a cave man wearing animal skins? I'm guessing you do not shower and wash clothes because the dirt and the smell will come back anyway.

/snark