A suggested deterrent

[beowulf]

I watched a lady toss trash out of her car yesterday onto the highway. I will never understand why someone would do that. I guess if I saw the inside of her house I might understand it a bit more.

Anyway, I don't want to appear to be too inflexible, and I understand that my proposal may face some opposition from the more timid folks, but sometimes you just have to make the punishment fit the offense. So, I propose for anyone caught littering that a pole be stuck in the ground at the precise location of the offense and that the offender be hung at that exact spot with the litter pinned to his or her clothing and then taken down in say 30 days. I recognize this could create an odor problem in the more populated locations, but that would, I think, just add to the deterrent effect. And we would also not have to worry about any recidivism issues. And before you condemn my solution, remember, there is no cure for stupid, and littering is stupid, and if we can't cure it, we should end it.

 

[Looking4new]

I watched a lady toss trash out of her car yesterday onto the highway. I will never understand why someone would do that. I guess if I saw the inside of her house I might understand it a bit more.

Anyway, I don't want to appear to be too inflexible, and I understand that my proposal may face some opposition from the more timid folks, but sometimes you just have to make the punishment fit the offense. So, I propose for anyone caught littering that a pole be stuck in the ground at the precise location of the offense and that the offender be hung at that exact spot with the litter pinned to his or her clothing and then taken down in say 30 days. I recognize this could create an odor problem in the more populated locations, but that would, I think, just add to the deterrent effect. And we would also not have to worry about any recidivism issues. And before you condemn my solution, remember, there is no cure for stupid, and littering is stupid, and if we can't cure it, we should end it.

You can't do that!
God loves stupid people....He made so many of them.

 

[bcp]

Punishment isn't a deterrent for many, as they don't believe they will ever be caught.

If someone had a small punishment EVERY TIME they littered, they would most likely stop.

Bruce

 

[rekees4300]

So, I propose for anyone caught littering that a pole be stuck in the ground at the precise location of the offense and that the offender be hung at that exact spot with the litter pinned to his or her clothing and then taken down in say 30 days.

Litterers are deplorable but perhaps hanging would be a tad harsh?

 

[beowulf]

Litterers are deplorable but perhaps hanging would be a tad harsh?

Yeah, I take your point. It is the mindlessness of it all that makes me crazy. So unnecessary.

Twenty or so years ago, I was out hiking with my dogs very early in the morning. From a hill on our property I saw a new Volvo pull off the highway at our driveway near our mail boxes. Being curious as to why they would stop there, I paused to watch. Two people exited from the car and threw fast-food sacks, and other trash in the ditch. I yelled at them as they took off, but I was quite a ways off.

I ran all the way back to the house - took me about five minutes or so to get there, I jumped into my truck and took off down the highway hoping, but not really expecting I would find them.

But guess what? Eureka! There they were at a gas station about seven miles down the road. I walked up to the driver and told him he needed to follow me back down the road to pick up the trash he threw out. He turned away and would not even look at me - just stared straight ahead. The lady in the car was shaking like a leaf in the wind, stammering, and said they didn't throw any trash out. I told her, politely in the circumstances, that she was full of #$%@ as I had watched them do it. I told them again to follow me back. They said nothing. There was no license plate on the car but there was a dealer tag in the front window. When I turned to go to my truck to get a pen to take down information from that tag they sped away. I didn't follow them as I figured I had made my point. What was also amazing is that my trash bins sat about 10-15 feet away from where they threw the trash in the ditch.

 

[beowulf]

You can't do that!
God loves stupid people....He made so many of them.

LOL - Well stated!

 

[ovrszd]

I have a similar mentality.

But trash is wayyyyyyyy down the list.

How about Computer Hackers? Maybe those who use guns to commit a crime? Or how bout career welfare recipients? People who neglect or abuse animals? Rioters? Biased News Reporters? People who illegally park in handicap parking spaces? People who dig thru stuff on store shelves and don't put it back where it belongs? Men who spit their chewing tobacco in urinals? People who talk on their Cell Phones in the checkout line ahead of you?

See how far down the list littering is for me.......

 

[oosik]

I got a completely different take on litter a few years back. Had to make a pit stop, for the dog - he was bouncing around like a frog on a red hot skillet. There was a highway dept litter crew taking lunch break across the road. I mentioned to them that litterers were real slugs. One of the young members answered - "Yes, they are, but this is my summer job and it helps pay for my college education". A good way for our tax money to be used and maybe a real education for this youngster??

 

[beowulf]

ovrszd, Yeah, the list is long, and some you have tagged I would also tag. But the littering issue came to the fore yesterday when I saw the lady casually toss trash out - so was still on my mind. Those other things? Yeah, several would also be on my list (abusing animals a big one) and I agree in the grand scheme of things can be more maddening. I could write at great length about each one and add a few more. Maybe that is the segue this thread will take.

 

[George2615]

I mow the grassy section next to my rural road. One day I went to mow and saw a bunch of trash including a fast food bag, beer and soda cans and other misc. trash. It made me mad. I went back and got a large trash bag to pick up the trash. While picking it up I happen to look in the fast food bag and found an employee pay stub (you can't fix stupid). I went in the house and did a county tax search for anyone on my road with the name on the pay stub. Sure enough, I found that person lived 3/4 mile down the road from me. The next day I drove down to that house with the bag of trash and knocked on their door. No one answered so I left the bag on their porch with a note telling them if they want to throw trash out the car window they are free to do so but they need to wait till they pull into their own driveway and not throw it out in front of mine or anyone else's house.
I still find the occasional beer can but it burns me up when I actually see them do it.