Balloon littering

[mikehaugen]

Balloons don't really bother me, blatant littering like throwing fast food wrappers bothers me more, or especially large items like mattresses and such.

 

[dmccarty]

Around here many of the balloons are carrying a burning candle. This is common.

www.columbian.com

Bruce

Wow, just seeing that, my first thought is forest fires.....

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

My kids cry when they lose grasp of their balloons, so we don't purposely let them go. We don't buy the mylar type. Only the rubber type. Easily passed by a cow.

We have a church nearby and I have found at least two mylar ballons over the years. One was caught by a tree and took years to degrade before it finally fell to the ground. Kinda a PITA but the balloons are not being released on purpose so I know there was a sad kid that lost the balloon.

When the kids were younger, they would get balloons from Red Robin. One day we left and I told the oldest to hold on to that balloon.... Well, that cheap rubber balloon got loose and floated up, up and away, and there was one very unhappy child.

Next trip, same kid gets a balloon, same conversation about holding on to balloon. We had the windows rolled down to let the heat out of the car and the balloon was let loose.... Well, that cheap rubber balloon got loose and floated up, up and away, and there was one very unhappy child.

Later,
Dan

 

[/pine]

I've heard about mylar balloons causing power outages...And I hate finding them in the deer woods...!

 

[Country Geek]

"What goes up must come down" doesn't just apply to balloons. Celebratory gunfire is a bigger problem tan a lot of people realize.

 

[KennyG]

Wow, just seeing that, my first thought is forest fires.....

Later,
Dan

I don't think it's a significant problem. They will stay very high until the candle goes out, so the chance of starting a fire is pretty remote. It's become popular to launch them over the lake here and some localities have banned them, but I've never heard of them starting a fire.

I was skeptical of the Michigan 10 cent can/bottle deposit but it has been very effective in eliminating that part of the litter. Now if we could just figure out something about the fast food trash.

 

[/pine]

Now if we could just figure out something about the fast food trash.

It's a mind set...in a lot of countries in Europe you will never see a piece of litter etc...

Wish more states would impose stiffer fines for littering...In TN they fine you $50 for tossing a cigarette butt...

100 hrs of community service (picking up trash) for first offenders would stop a lot of needless litter...IMO...

 

[txdon]

It's a mind set...in a lot of countries in Europe you will never see a piece of litter etc...

Wish more states would impose stiffer fines for littering...In TN they fine you $50 for tossing a cigarette butt...

100 hrs of community service (picking up trash) for first offenders would stop a lot of needless litter...IMO...

I'll have to disagree with you here. A large fine/punishment would have a negative factor on officer enforcement. The officer would tend to overlook it if he feels the punishment does not fit the crime. In a larger city maybe but in rural areas only the major crimes (drugs/bodily harm) are enforced to the max. They want their boss to be re-elected.

 

[mikehaugen]

It's a mind set...in a lot of countries in Europe you will never see a piece of litter etc...

Wish more states would impose stiffer fines for littering...In TN they fine you $50 for tossing a cigarette butt...

100 hrs of community service (picking up trash) for first offenders would stop a lot of needless litter...IMO...

It could be a million dollar fine but people would still do it, it's a hard law to enforce as you have to be seen doing it and I assume people don't do it when there are people around. People break the law thinking they won't get caught.

 

[/pine]

...A large fine/punishment would have a negative factor on officer enforcement. The officer would tend to overlook it if he feels the punishment does not fit the crime...

Maybe 100 hrs. CS is a bit harsh for first offenders but in many places washing police cars is part of their CS details...I do think that having to pick up litter as part of serving CS definitely fits the crime...

It could be a million dollar fine but people would still do it, it's a hard law to enforce as you have to be seen doing it and I assume people don't do it when there are people around. People break the law thinking they won't get caught.

like I said...it's a mindset...(out of sight (the window)...is out of mind)

Sort of like being taught to have manners and respect elders has gone by the wayside...

A kid sees his mom/dad toss a butt out the window teaches the kid that it's OK...etc.,etc...