Pay up, you smoky litter bugs!

[sarahwt]

Not only are people who throw rubbish out of cars going to be fined, as I saw on BBC Breakfast this morning, YouTube - BBC Breakfast: Daniel Hamilton on littering fines for motorists (sorry about the poor video quality, I couldn't find it on the bbc website!) but smokers are also going to be fined. I'm sure they tried to introduce this before without much success? BBC News - Litter fines of up to £80 for smokers in Herefordshire Is it just some counties that have this in place? How difficult must it be to police this? Even worse for throwing rubbish out of cars!
I came across this blog the other day by the "EcoWomen" (who live in America) about people throwing rubbish out their car windows, and one of the Eco Women and her family trawl across the land by the road litter picking other peoples rubbish. Son of a Ditch! | Eco Women: Protectors of the Planet! It really winds me up actually, and I will admit that my car does end up looking a little like a skip sometimes, I'd much prefer to have my car full of rubbish that I can then empty into a bin, than chuck it out the window! I'd feel SO embarrassed if I found out that someone else was using their free time to go and pick up my rubbish, just because I'm too lazy, or whatever excuse people use to justify their filthy habits!

Well, for my first thread on this forum, that was quite a stroppy one! Didn't mean it to turn out like that, oops! Rant Over

[solus]

I saw a sign by a motorway/busy dual carriageway last week - can't remember exactly where but somewhere between Newbury and Southampton - "Picking up YOUR litter puts workers lives at risk". Trouble is, unless the littering motorist is being followed by an unmarked police car, there's not much chance of them being caught, same as for all those still using hand-held mobiles while driving.

We did report some teenage kids chucking rubbish from a (sign-written) school minibus to the head of the school once and he was going to speak to the boys in question and the teacher who was driving, so hopefully they'll think twice in future.

There are apparently "litter wardens" in Gloucester City and a number of people have been fined for throwing cigarette ends and chewing gum on to the pavement but whether that is sufficient to teach lessons and set examples I have no idea. Having been taught from childhood that rubbish goes into a bin or if there isn't one is carried until there is, or taken home, I get really wound up by any form of rubbish thrown down anywhere.

Just one of my (many!) pet grumps!!

Many years ago, I walked up Croagh Patrick, a "pilgrimage" mountain in the west of Ireland and was told that when the path became unclear in the screes near the summit all I had to do was "follow the trail of Fanta cans". And sure enough, there they were. If someone (lots of someones in that case) can carry a full can up, why is it so difficult to take an empty, and squashed, one back down???

[sarahwt]

I read that if every single aluminium can was recycled, we would need 14 million fewer dustbins! I've always been brought up to take my rubbish home with me if there's no available bins (hence the state of my car!), it drives me mad!!! There's this little old lady from home who wanders along the streets picking up rubbish. She doesn't look where she's going, she's so intent on picking up all the rubbish chucked on the street. I've seen her on a number of occasions stumble into the road; touch wood she's never been hit by a car or a bus. Picking up other people's litter puts workers lives at risk, and clearly good samaratin's lives at risk too!

[The Woodman]

Where would we put the cans for recycling if we didn't have bins?

I share your emotions regarding deliberate rubbish dumping.

Sunday morning at 0900 parked right in the front of Morrisons waiting to give someone a lift and a builders van passed me and parked four spaces to my left. I'd done a job for this builder but had never met him and as I sat there, I wondered if my work had been successful. The sun was shining and he lounged back in the drivers seat with the window open.

I noticed his clenched fist hanging alongside the door and release a scrumpled bit of paper as an employee was sweeping the entrance to the store not a dozen yards in front of his van. My ire started to rise and when he dropped the second one deliberately I got out, walked round on the blind side, picked up both scrumpled lottery tickets and put my hand through the window and said, "Here mate, you've just dropped these." He nearly jumped out of his skin and replied, "Oh, sorry, thanks".

I'm not one of the righteous brothers but that really gets my gander up.

[sarahwt]

I think the idea is that we would put the cans in the recycling bins, but you make a good point, I didn't think of it like that!!! Good for you giving him his rubbish back like that, I'd be far too scared! Might have to pluck up the courage and give it a go next time I see something like that though!!! Awesome!!!

[Jackaroo]

I also regard blatant ejection of litter from car windows extremely annoying, as should any right minded person these days and as for fly-tipping that is absolute anathema to me! Having said that, as a smoker (albeit struggling to stop) I have to confess to being guilty of pinging the odd fag-end out the window. Mia Maxima Culpa! I even try to assuage my guilt by telling myself that; as it's a roll-up, it's bio-degradable. However,that's not the point I wish to raise.Is it ever acceptable to toss out certain types of foodstuff? Sandwich crusts,apple cores etc.I have done this before with deliberation and with forethought and excused myself on the grounds that there're animals out there who might be glad of a snack,so to speak, and there's no real difference between doing this and chucking bread to the ducks!(though I realise that bread for ducks is contra-indicated these days) I suspect that this reasoning might not save me from a fine if apprehended. So what does the panel think? Is selective 'littering' acceptable? Or am I a candidate for lynching?

I throw myself on the mercy of the court.

Jackaroo.

[sarahwt]

Ooooh, you do make a good point, and, after all my ranting, I have to admit that I will throw out orange peel or banana peel or whatever and justify it to myself because it's biodegradable... But I won't do it in built up areas, just in countryside or wooded areas... I'm feeling a little guilty now after ripping litterbugs to shreds and now realising that I'm a culprit! I think you're right Jackaroo - selective littering could be okay - almost like composting!? I am also a smoker, and I do try my best to put the ends in my ash tray. I do admit to chucking the odd end out the window though! Oh, the repressed memories you've brought back!!! Sorry environment, I'm a little bit of a hypocrite it seems

[ForestPaul]

Originally Posted by Jackaroo

Is selective 'littering' acceptable? Or am I a candidate for lynching?

I throw myself on the mercy of the court.

Stone him !

I had a 'discussion' about this at the weekend with some mountain bikers who'd stopped at the end of our track to eat some food. I stopped to chat and we were getting on fine until one of them threw the uneaten crusts from his sandwich into the hedge.

I pointed out that it was my hedge and I didn't take kindly to people chucking litter into it and he replied with the "but it's bio-degradeable" argument. At this point the discussion came to an abrupt end when my cocker spaniel piled into the hedge and scoffed the crusts. I did notice that the rest of them then carefully put their banana skins and apple cores back in their packs though.

Litter is litter, no matter how quickly it might degrade. And in farmland chucking waste food around is a bio-security risk as well.

P.S. The ashtray in my Landy is full of old roll-up ends - a useful resource for when you run out of tobacco and the shops are shut

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by ForestPaul

Stone him !



P.S. The ashtray in my Landy is full of old roll-up ends - a useful resource for when you run out of tobacco and the shops are shut

Point taken.And, by the way, regarding the ashtray reserves, I have been there! How low can we go?

[Jackaroo]

Originally Posted by sarahwt

I'm a little bit of a hypocrite it seems

Oh, I think we can all be a little hypocritical at times. It's a question of degree. I wouldn't beat myself up too much if I were you. After all to err is human......etc.