I have to say, I’m always amazed that just when I think I have run out of blog ideas another one just drops in my lap. Or in this case, on the road.
You can always count on bad drivers to give you material.
Today, my subject is throwing trash out the window of your car.
What Neanderthal would do such a thing, you ask?
Wish I had a picture for you of the person who did it today. But, alas, I can’t break the law by having my phone in my hand to snap a picture while driving.
Someone doing this seriously BLOWS MY MIND.
WHO DOES THIS?
Sadly, looking at the sides of just about every road, apparently a lot of people.
And again, like so many road violations, there are rarely any cops around to punish it. Sad that we even need someone to punish it.
Frankly, it’s the height of laziness, self-centeredness, carelessness, and total lack of respect for this earth. Makes my blood boil.
You can find the littering law for your state at LitterButt.com (great name, by the way). While this site is specifically devoted to littering with cigarette butts, it did the hard work of compiling the laws in every state.
And, in case you are confused, littering IS a crime.
What’s more, Litter-bug.org says, “Litter causes thousands of auto accidents each year, and as many bicycle accidents, with damage to tires and tubes costing millions of dollars.”
Keep America Beautiful conducted a study – the 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study. It found:
- Individuals as the primary source of litter. Motorists and pedestrians are littering on roads and highways, in downtown business districts, recreational areas, and beaches.
Over 51 billion pieces of litter appear on U.S. roadways each year. Most of it, 46.6 billion pieces (91%), is less than four inches. That’s 6,729 items per mile of roadway.- Tobacco products comprise roughly 38% of ALL U.S. roadway litter in overall aggregate analysis. Paper (22%) and plastic (19%) are the next largest percentages of litter on roads and highways.
- Sidenote: According to AllentownRecycles.org, “the most COMMONLY littered item is the cigarette butt. Many smokers believe that cigarette butts are not litter – and decompose quickly. THIS IS WRONG. The plastic filters can take up to 15 years to decompose!!”
- Most roadway litter — 76% — appears to originate from motorists and pedestrians. Individual actions by motorists (52%), pedestrians (22.8%), improperly covered trucks and cargo loads (16.4%), and other behaviors are the source of roadway litter.
Is it really all that difficult to hold on to your trash and drop it in a proper receptacle when you get out of your car?
Resources
Keep American Beautiful: End Littering
National Conference of State Legislatures: States with Littering Penalties
At Litter-Bug.org, you can post your witness account, description, and evidence of littering and dumping! Neighbors, communities, and law enforcement can use Litter-Bug.org data to help prevent and deter future littering and possibly catch perpetrators of illegal dumping activity. And, while I suspect this web site will unfortunately not effect real change, it will at least be cathartic for you.
Do wool socks really only last 1 – 5 years? The same as a cigarette butt? There should be a national campaign to increase awareness about cigarette butt littering. I really hate that.