Litter, people are just slobs

Jstpssng · Sep 8, 2015

Redneck in training said:
We used to come to a nearby lake with kids. The shore was littered with cans and bottles. When the IA bottle deposit law became active in 1990 we used to bring plastic bags and kids spent hours looking for cans to return. They earned significant amount of money that year. The shore was more or less clean within single season. It got somewhat worse lately though because many plastic bottles are not refundable.

I was staying at a free campsite years ago which was maintained by the Maine Forest Service, there was a young family in a really nice site nearby. When they left I took a walk down, thinking about using it... The fire pit was full of diapers, while others were tossed into the lake. Yet these people had been swimming there.

When I left after 3 weeks I cleaned up, and left a nice little pile of firewood for the next campers. I happened to be going past just 4days later; the site I had been on was strewn with litter, and somebody had taken a $*** in the firepit... despite the fact that there was an outhouse not far away.

Not long after that the MFS stopped maintaining campsites, many people got PO'ed because some became private, pay-to-use, while others were simply closed.

dodge man · Sep 8, 2015

I live about 4 miles outside of town. About once a year I see where someone has dumped something along the road. I'm not talking about fast food stuff either, I'm talking a couch, TV, a bunch of loose tile from a bathroom remodel, large piles of leaves, etc. This upsets me to no end and some day I'm going to get a plate number and turn them in. People are to lazy or cheap to take it to the landfill. What do they think, the deer will eat it?

ultrarunner · Sep 8, 2015

I live in a city of 400,000+ and several times a week I see new trash dumped along the 580 freeway right of way.

Most times I looks like someone just pulled over and pushed out trash from the back of the pickup.

My worst work related was the locked recycle 4 yard dumpster behind a locked cyclone enclosure.

Housekeeping called me because the recycle dumpster was full???

Looked like someone had taken out part of a patio or drive and the dumpster was filled to over flowing with broken concrete... about 7 tons worth.... each chuck had to be removed and it took 4 trips to get rid of with tipping fees at $70 per ton.

roadhunter · Sep 8, 2015

Jstpssng said:
I was staying at a free campsite years ago which was maintained by the Maine Forest Service, there was a young family in a really nice site nearby. When they left I took a walk down, thinking about using it... The fire pit was full of diapers, while others were tossed into the lake. Yet these people had been swimming there.

When I left after 3 weeks I cleaned up, and left a nice little pile of firewood for the next campers. I happened to be going past just 4days later; the site I had been on was strewn with litter, and somebody had taken a $*** in the firepit... despite the fact that there was an outhouse not far away.

Not long after that the MFS stopped maintaining campsites, many people got PO'ed because some became private, pay-to-use, while others were simply closed.

That's the reality of much publicly accessible land. It's really sad to see.

We were up in Bozeman the other day on a hike to a beautiful waterfall. Ran across a pair of poopy underwear on the trail. Some kid had crapped his pants and parents just threw it in the middle of the trail.

2LaneCruzer · Sep 8, 2015

roadhunter said:
That's the reality of much publicly accessible land. It's really sad to see.

We were up in Bozeman the other day on a hike to a beautiful waterfall. Ran across a pair of poopy underwear on the trail. Some kid had crapped his pants and parents just threw it in the middle of the trail.

"The Tragedy of the Commons".

newbury · Sep 8, 2015

I was the driver with a 5 person unit doing field geology research one summer in Martinsburg, West Virginia and we had a summer hire college kid along.

Coming back to the lab we stopped for a late lunch at a McD's. About 20 miles down the road he had finished his meal and carefully put the napkins, cup, straw etc. neatly in the bag and then threw the entire bag out the window at 50 miles per hour. I slammed on the brakes gave him a short lecture and made him walk back and pick it up.

I cannot understand the mindset.

sseelhoff · Sep 8, 2015

newbury said:
I was the driver with a 5 person unit doing field geology research one summer in Martinsburg, West Virginia and we had a summer hire college kid along.

Coming back to the lab we stopped for a late lunch at a McD's. About 20 miles down the road he had finished his meal and carefully put the napkins, cup, straw etc. neatly in the bag and then threw the entire bag out the window at 50 miles per hour. I slammed on the brakes gave him a short lecture and made him walk back and pick it up.

I cannot understand the mindset.

You showed great restraint. I would have thrown the kid out the window after it.

Tomtint · Sep 8, 2015

Growing up I don't remember my grandparents or parents being particularly strict on littering, they were however very strict in having us kids respect other people's property and made certain we had manners in public. I think maybe the non tolerance I have for littering stems from that. I think that there are just so many people today with absolutely no regard for other people's property and are to self centered to see what pigs they are being.

SPIKER · Sep 8, 2015

newbury said:
I was the driver with a 5 person unit doing field geology research one summer in Martinsburg, West Virginia and we had a summer hire college kid along.

Coming back to the lab we stopped for a late lunch at a McD's. About 20 miles down the road he had finished his meal and carefully put the napkins, cup, straw etc. neatly in the bag and then threw the entire bag out the window at 50 miles per hour. I slammed on the brakes gave him a short lecture and made him walk back and pick it up.

I cannot understand the mindset.

sseelhoff said:
You showed great restraint. I would have thrown the kid out the window after it.

See I would have SLOWLY applied the brakes THEN told him to get out and get it with a 30 sec to retrieve or I would have started moving... Heck probably would have moved a good 1/2 mile down road slowly as he was running back after it!

I did this to my EX once, when she tossed a pop cup out window, dumb thing was we were at end of her family farm drive! Asked her if she expected her grandpa to pick it up... :/

M