the day i stopped littering

[1jVu]

i cant sleep so i decided to tell you guys a neat story that happened about 2.5 months ago. i was walking down queen street with my girlfriend and saw these 2 guys that dressed kinda thug looking.. they had homemade sandwiches and juice boxes and handed it out to homeless people on the streets, i made small conversation and told them i respected them.

anyway back on track according to the title.. later that day i was buying a hot dog and there was a guy with a sign. his name was "the litter guy" the sign said he cleans the streets and any little donation keeps him going everyday. i felt touched, i gave him all my change and never litered anytime after that again..

i wasnt really a liter bug but when i was lazy i would always just leave it somewhere.. now i pocket all my garbage and such and ALWAYS throw it away in their respectable bins etc.. theres always that occasional times where i forget for a second nad throw it on the floor, but i never failed to turn back around and pick it up, even if its across the street :)

/thread

[pipolchap]

Good for you!

I find that alot (NOT ALL) of people who litter are people who came from countries that have no sanitation program in place (i.e. they burn garbage on the streets, etc). As part of coming to this country, they should be told that its a social taboo to litter here. Bad habits are hard to break.

BTW, fruit and other organics DO NOT decompose on asphalt and concrete. I hate people who use that excuse!

[ullyeus]

BTW, fruit and other organics DO NOT decompose on asphalt and concrete. I hate people who use that excuse!

What do they do then?

[hamant]

Good for you!

I find that alot (NOT ALL) of people who litter are people who came from countries that have no sanitation program in place (i.e. they burn garbage on the streets, etc). As part of coming to this country, they should be told that its a social taboo to litter here. Bad habits are hard to break.

BTW, fruit and other organics DO NOT decompose on asphalt and concrete. I hate people who use that excuse!

i completely disagree with that... where people come from has nothing to do with whether they litter or not.. so by your logic anyone born in canada doesn't litter?

I would love to see evidence supporting ur stupid assumption

[ImJJ]

...I find that alot (NOT ALL) of people who litter are people who came from countries that have no sanitation program in place (i.e. they burn garbage on the streets, etc). As part of coming to this country, they should be told that its a social taboo to litter here. Bad habits are hard to break...


HUH??

i completely disagree with that... where people come from has nothing to do with whether they litter or not.. so by your logic anyone born in canada doesn't litter?

I would love to see evidence supporting ur stupid assumption
+1
Well said~!!

[chrome_dout]

Cool story, one less person littering is always a good thing. But now I must know what happens to organic items left on roads? How could they not decompose?

[1jVu]

Cool story, one less person littering is always a good thing. But now I must know what happens to organic items left on roads? How could they not decompose?

yeah sometimes i do feel like "meh its just a piece of paper it doesnt matter" but you see pieces of paper on the floor all the time, so i thought to myself, if there are other people like me (and there are) then it would make a difference. 1 might not be a lot but 1x100 is still 100 =)

[brunes]

Cool story, one less person littering is always a good thing. But now I must know what happens to organic items left on roads? How could they not decompose?

They just don't decompose as well as ones in the woods cause there aren't as many animals and bugs and bacteria munching on them.

Similarly paper and organic waste doe snot decompose as well in a landfill as it does in a compost.

Regardless having old apples and such sitting rotting on the streets for months stinking up the place does nothing for a city or any other place. If you aren't in the woods where a deer or raccoon will eat it in short fashion, put it in the trash or compost.

[Spidey]

BTW, fruit and other organics DO NOT decompose on asphalt and concrete. I hate people who use that excuse!

Really, show me. Plus animals and birds will get to it way before it decomposes anyways.

I dont litter anyways, I have small cans in my vehicles and when in town I always find a garbage can

[pipolchap]

What do they do then?

I guess I meant to say compost. They just leave a slimy mess.

i completely disagree with that... where people come from has nothing to do with whether they litter or not.. so by your logic anyone born in canada doesn't litter?

I would love to see evidence supporting ur stupid assumption

Where people come from DOES have something to do with littering. Because there is no designated landfill or whatnot in their home country, it is socially acceptable (in their minds) to toss garbage on the street.

I work with many kids from East Africa, West Africa, India, Eastern Europe, as well as multi-generational Cdns. I've noticed that the kids and parents from countries that do not have a municipal or whatever governmental waste program tend to litter more. People raised here or people that have lived here "alot" longer tend to litter less.

Do you travel much? If you did, you would know that waste management is not practiced all over the world.

Really, show me. Plus animals and birds will get to it way before it decomposes anyways.

True, but in the winter when there's less animals, it just stays there on the sidewalk.

[Spidey]

True, but in the winter when there's less animals, it just stays there on the sidewalk.


Oh Im thinking on country roads and the highway. Maybe albertas different, but there are still tons of animals out in winter

[hamant]

I work with many kids from East Africa, West Africa, India, Eastern Europe, as well as multi-generational Cdns. I've noticed that the kids and parents from countries that do not have a municipal or whatever governmental waste program tend to litter more. People raised here or people that have lived here "alot" longer tend to litter less.

Do you travel much? If you did, you would know that waste management is not practiced all over the world.



like I said, where's your evidence. You're bases your assumption on what you see around you? So if I see black people around me committing crimes, that means they all commit crimes because the countries they come from don't have law? That's the logic you use.

Actually i've probably been to more places than you can name (not that we or you traveling around the world means anything, but to you apparently it does) The simple reason to your assumption is that you're ignorant.
Rather than making a statement based on facts, you make it based on whats around you and generalizations

Europeans used to think the world was flat because it didn't appear to be curved. You would have fit right in 13th century Europe.

[hamant]

Where people come from DOES have something to do with littering. Because there is no designated landfill or whatnot in their home country, it is socially acceptable (in their minds) to toss garbage on the street.




just because its acceptable where they come doesn't mean they will do it... in kenya, India, pakistan, China, North Korea traffic lights are rare and few inbetween.

So when people come to canada and head out of the city, I guess they run traffic lights left right in center cause where they came from they were allowed to. Same with speeding right, because its not inforced in Korea or India I guess they come here and drive at 180 km/h.

[Dangaizer3]

BTW, fruit and other organics DO NOT decompose on asphalt and concrete. I hate people who use that excuse!

"Q: Why do I need a compost bin?
A: Organic material will naturally decompose anywhere. Composting in a bin, however, keeps composting materials neater and allows the pile to heat up and decompose more quickly."

http://recycling.stanford.edu/recycling/caq_organics.html

"Decomposition may refer to the following:

Decomposition, biological process through which organic material is reduced "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decomposition_%28disambiguation%29


Europeans used to think the world was flat because it didn't appear to be curved. You would have fit right in 13th century Europe.

Translation= SHINRYUKEN! (wiki):eek:

[Spor 13]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h19/Voidbane/shinryuken.gif

:twisted:

[Dangaizer3]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h19/Voidbane/shinryuken.gif

:twisted:

That looks like one hella vacuum sucking, multiple blow, move...!
GG Ken :rolleyes:

[Siefer999]

just because you litter organic material, doesn't mean that it is not littering. littering is littering. I do think that is has to do with how people are brought up. if they are brought up in an area where littering is common, then they will bring those attitudes wherever they go. I don't need proof. Its just common sense. I think everybody that is getting offended is taking that comment too seriously and personally because he said immigrants.

Many american's litter like a *****. during caribana in toronto when there is a lot more people, you notice a huge increase in litter and it is not because of the fact that there are a lot more people. when i went to NYC, i saw business men throwing garbage in the vicinity of the garbage can that was on the street but not even aiming to get it in. no doubt that if they were in canada, they would do the same because they have a different mentality when it comes to littering.

[pipolchap]

like I said, where's your evidence. You're bases your assumption on what you see around you? So if I see black people around me committing crimes, that means they all commit crimes because the countries they come from don't have law? That's the logic you use.

Actually i've probably been to more places than you can name (not that we or you traveling around the world means anything, but to you apparently it does) The simple reason to your assumption is that you're ignorant.
Rather than making a statement based on facts, you make it based on whats around you and generalizations

Europeans used to think the world was flat because it didn't appear to be curved. You would have fit right in 13th century Europe.

:rolleyes:

just because its acceptable where they come doesn't mean they will do it... in kenya, India, pakistan, China, North Korea traffic lights are rare and few inbetween.

So when people come to canada and head out of the city, I guess they run traffic lights left right in center cause where they came from they were allowed to. Same with speeding right, because its not inforced in Korea or India I guess they come here and drive at 180 km/h.

How does driving habits even compare to littering habits? One rarely get enforced (note spelling, idiot).

just because you litter organic material, doesn't mean that it is not littering. littering is littering. I do think that is has to do with how people are brought up. if they are brought up in an area where littering is common, then they will bring those attitudes wherever they go. I don't need proof. Its just common sense. I think everybody that is getting offended is taking that comment too seriously and personally because he said immigrants.

Exactly

Maybe I should have used the term "people who participate in littering from litter-friendly countries". How uncouth of me! :lol:

[hamant]

lol.. so you're coutner-arguement to my first point is :rolleyes:?

want to try harder.... I know, say you've been to the moon therefore you MUST have the answer to littering you tool...

OH MY GOD!!! YOU'RE SO GOOD AT SPELLING .. you want a prize?
make sure you don't travel too far from land, you might fall of the edge

[don242]

I don't understand why people litter in the first place. Is it really that hard to bring your garbage home or wait till you reach a garbage bin?

What really bothers me is the people who drive buy and throw their coffee cups and takeout garbage out the window. The couldn't leave it in their car until they got home? It isn't even like they are walking down the street and are forced to carry it till they get to a garbage (even that is no excuse). I have watched people who are seconds away from pulling into their house, throw their garbage out the window. Why??? What do they do if they find garbage on their lawn? Do they enjoy cleaning it up? What makes them think I enjoy picking up their garbage?

I keep a small bag in the car for garbage. Occassionally I just throw it in the garbage on my way into the house. No lost time. No incovienience on my part.

Thank you op for doing your part.

[stealth]

I don't understand why people litter in the first place. Is it really that hard to bring your garbage home or wait till you reach a garbage bin?

What really bothers me is the people who drive buy and throw their coffee cups and takeout garbage out the window. The couldn't leave it in their car until they got home? It isn't even like they are walking down the street and are forced to carry it till they get to a garbage (even that is no excuse). I have watched people who are seconds away from pulling into their house, throw their garbage out the window. Why??? What do they do if they find garbage on their lawn? Do they enjoy cleaning it up? What makes them think I enjoy picking up their garbage?

I keep a small bag in the car for garbage. Occassionally I just throw it in the garbage on my way into the house. No lost time. No incovienience on my part.

Thank you op for doing your part.

+1 this bothers me and my wife as well. Keep your fast food garbage until you get home or throw it out when you get to a gas station as they have garbage cans there as well. Amazing to see all the paper crap by the roadside for no good reason at all.

[1jVu]

+1 this bothers me and my wife as well. Keep your fast food garbage until you get home or throw it out when you get to a gas station as they have garbage cans there as well. Amazing to see all the paper crap by the roadside for no good reason at all.

ha! this bothers me out of everyone for sure, i live on a strip where its semi attached houses so my driveway is shared. for some god damn reason though, the wind blows everything to my side in the corner of my driveway so i get tv boxes, mcdonalds garbage all the time (i live across from one) i even got a vibrator box that said purple rocket on it!! grr
and yes this goes the same with snow, my neighbours driveway has ZERO SNOW where we have it stacked in feets, thats why we on the strip are the only one with a snow blower =/

[pipolchap]

If you live in a high traffic area, contact your city or councilor to set up a public bin. I live near the subway so there is a stream of people in front of my house in any given day. I emailed my councilor about it and in a week, they installed a bin on the closest major thoroughfare. Much better now.

Still sort of on topic, what is up with people who throw household waste (big bundled shopping bags) in public bins?!

[1jVu]

If you live in a high traffic area, contact your city or councilor to set up a public bin. I live near the subway so there is a stream of people in front of my house in any given day. I emailed my councilor about it and in a week, they installed a bin on the closest major thoroughfare. Much better now.

Still sort of on topic, what is up with people who throw household waste (big bundled shopping bags) in public bins?!

i think those are green composts so they dont stink up the house so they throw it in public bins, i dont see anything wrong with this

[Becks]

I've been picking up litter around my block for a while now. I live in an area where there are cars that park/drive by and they toss their fast food cups and bags out onto the street. I also pick up a lot of cigarette boxes, the plastic wrap it comes in, as well as the filters. People toss their household garbage into dumpsters, which then overflow, and then I pick all that stuff up too. It seems like no one takes responsibility about their own litter. What happens is that a seemingly small problem leads to a big problem. Litter leads to things like crime because it looks like no one cares and no one notices what's going on in the 'hood. I've recently moved five abandoned shopping carts and I've noticed a lot of drug-related (needle parts, baggies) litter.

The truly sad thing is that, when people see me picking up litter, they give me a weird look, like I'm mentally ********. In fact, I don't even tell anyone in my family I pick up litter because they would think I was being foolish. So far, it really does seem like I'm losing a lot of time in my life that I will never get back.

[cheeseshredder]

i completely disagree with that... where people come from has nothing to do with whether they litter or not.. so by your logic anyone born in canada doesn't litter?

I would love to see evidence supporting ur stupid assumption

"I find that alot (NOT ALL) of people who litter are people who came from countries that have no sanitation program in place (i.e. they burn garbage on the streets, etc). As part of coming to this country, they should be told that its a social taboo to litter here. Bad habits are hard to break."

That is a perfectly REASONABLE and PLAUSIBLE statement. You obviously fail at comprehension because you totally misinterpret the post. The post never said ANYTHING about all people born in Canada not littering. You are the one making "stupid assumptions". Learn to read before you wildly accuse people of statements that they did not make.

The post simply stated that people from other countries where waste management isn't as developed are more likely to incline. You seriously don't see that connection?

like I said, where's your evidence. You're bases your assumption on what you see around you? So if I see black people around me committing crimes, that means they all commit crimes because the countries they come from don't have law? That's the logic you use.

Actually i've probably been to more places than you can name (not that we or you traveling around the world means anything, but to you apparently it does) The simple reason to your assumption is that you're ignorant.
Rather than making a statement based on facts, you make it based on whats around you and generalizations


No, that's not the logic the poster is using. Again, notice how the poster used a qualifier indicating that his statement obviously does not apply to ALL foreigners from countries with less developed waste management. What kind of logic are you using?

While there's no official study done on what the poster stated about foreigners, it's common sense if you think about it. If you were born and grew up living a certain way, you take time to adjust. So when you first come here, you might not know all the social practices...with time you improve and adapt. Common sense, makes sense, you're attacking the statement like it's blatantly false, but it's not.

IT COULD be false, but more likely it's true... it's not hard to understand why, just think about it.

YOU are the one who is making the logical fallacies in interpreting what the statement means.

[don242]

I've been picking up litter around my block for a while now. I live in an area where there are cars that park/drive by and they toss their fast food cups and bags out onto the street. I also pick up a lot of cigarette boxes, the plastic wrap it comes in, as well as the filters. People toss their household garbage into dumpsters, which then overflow, and then I pick all that stuff up too. It seems like no one takes responsibility about their own litter. What happens is that a seemingly small problem leads to a big problem. Litter leads to things like crime because it looks like no one cares and no one notices what's going on in the 'hood. I've recently moved five abandoned shopping carts and I've noticed a lot of drug-related (needle parts, baggies) litter.

The truly sad thing is that, when people see me picking up litter, they give me a weird look, like I'm mentally ********. In fact, I don't even tell anyone in my family I pick up litter because they would think I was being foolish. So far, it really does seem like I'm losing a lot of time in my life that I will never get back.

Good for you. And rest assured that if I saw you picking up litter I would not think you ********. I would be happy someone cares enough to try to keep their neighbourhood clean. Maybe the looks you are getting are more about their own guilt for not helping out.

Each year we would go out and pick up garbage from a small portion of a field accross our street. It is sad to see how many giant bags we filled in so small an area. Actually sometimes I am amazed at just how much garbage that has been blown into my yard and I pick off my own lawn.

[twotterdhc6]

Still sort of on topic, what is up with people who throw household waste (big bundled shopping bags) in public bins?!

Some people do this because they know they are over the bag limit, but are too cheap to buy garbage tags, so they reduce themselves to ILLEGAL dumping.
Sad, but it happens :rolleyes:

[WontonTiger]

lol.. so you're coutner-arguement to my first point is :rolleyes:?

want to try harder.... I know, say you've been to the moon therefore you MUST have the answer to littering you tool...

OH MY GOD!!! YOU'RE SO GOOD AT SPELLING .. you want a prize?
make sure you don't travel too far from land, you might fall of the edge

So I guess the whole nature vs. nurture thing escapes you... I don't think writing off his whole argument due to a lack of evidence is a good thing to do. If I go to Japan, am I more likely to tip?... I would be out of place (tipping there is not required) however to me I would feel compelled to tip. Is this because I am a kinder, more generous person?... NO, it's because of the NURTURE effect.

So I guess you are under the impression that a migrant to this country would be fully versed in our custom's and laws right?... The reason our culture here is changing, is mostly because of cultural attributes brought here by immigrants, so I don't think that writing off his argument because you are offended is really a viable option.

You are over-reacting to what he said. I may not agree with his conclusion, however I do think that he has a point, or at least the basis of an argument.

[gordholio]

Some people do this because they know they are over the bag limit, but are too cheap to buy garbage tags, so they reduce themselves to ILLEGAL dumping.
Sad, but it happens :rolleyes:

Such terrible criminals. :cheesygri

[Lava]

Are you trying to put the guy with the sign out of business?:cheesygri