Litter!

[Nick Jones]

There can really be little hope for the Septic Isle, or indeed the planet, while an apparently substantial proportion of the population thinks it’s entirely acceptable to lob their rubbish out their car windows, even while driving through a village.

The road into our village winds downhill from a roundabout, mostly in a deep, steep-sided cutting. Half-way down there’s a blind Z bend with a minor junction at each point where the Roman Fosse Way (a single-track lane at this point) crosses it. There are verges at this point. 
 

Rubbish thoughtlessly tossed from passing vehicles accumulates here, and it’s ugly. Really ugly. Not a very safe place for litter picking though.  Various villagers have griped about the mess, along the “someone should do something” lines. No one has actually done anything though.

Until this morning. I’ve cycled up this bloody hill several times in recent days and noted fresh deposits. Mainly bearing the Golden Arches logo. So this morning, finding myself awake quite early, rather than turning over and going back to sleep, I got up, dressed found myself a bin bag, some gloves and a high-vis vest and went up there. I was hoping the road might be be quiet at 7.15 am on a Sunday morning, but it wasn’t really. Didn’t matter much, I was sticking to the verge parts. Not even I’m crazy enough to walk up the carriageway through the cuttings, where the rocky banks bear the scars of passing traffic that got to close.

Even just fishing in the limited area it soon became obvious I’d messed up only bringing one bag. Not nearly enough. Luckily enough there was an old feed sack stuck in the brambles so that got pressed into service.

What did I find….
Crisp packets, many, many crisp packets
Pie trays, mainly plastic
Many plastic bottles in various states of repair.
-Assorted choc bar wrappers
-Drink cans, 50% red bull, varying from fresh and round to battered flat and disintegrated.
-Costa cups and lids
-Burger bar bags, foam burger containers, sauce sachets full and empty. Mainly from McDonalds, who presumably have the scuzziest clientele
-Couple of glass beer bottles
-Bits of car, broken plastic trim etc
-Quite a big chunk of fibreglass fairing, I think from a baler
-Two kitchen unit sides (still there-wasn’t carrying them back!)

Surprise find of the day was a full, intact can of Stella Artois, still in date. You might think that this was my reward for public service, and if this was the god’s intention, then thanks…. However, as I gave up booze some years ago I can’t help feeling they are either not paying attention or taking the piss….

Anyway. My good deed for the day (week/month).

Though I cycled up the hill about an hour later and noted that at the top of the hill, at the roundabout, it’s even worse. Probably a three-bagger…… 

Theres got to be a way of making littering socially unacceptable. I’m in favour of snipers, but suspect this might not be universally approved…….

[JohnD]

A sealed beer can might be safe, but not those bottles of Truckers Tizer.

You are a scholar and a (public spirited) gentleman, Nick! Telling us may vent you spleen but isn't there a village blog, or even local paper to write to?

I've had a different sort of revolting litter, through my door this week.   A racist, neoNazi group that call themselves "Patriotic Alternative" have pushed leaflets through my door suggesting that the multiple ills of our country are due to "migrants".  I've posted them back to the address conveniently given on the leaflet, but unstamped, to make their nasty campaign cost a bit more. 

But why is it that women are better than men at retribution (more justification?). Daughter suggested after I had posted that I should have wrapped the leaflets around bricks, costing them rather more in unpaid postage.  Damn, and double damn!

John

[RogerH]

Hi Nick,

I know how you feel.

This morning I found on the pavement out side my hose a broken open box of 144 pieces of debris. All  the debris began with  the same letter.

 

Clearly a case of gross alliteration

 

Roger

[Escadrille Ecosse]

54 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Clearly a case of gross alliteration

Roger, you need to give yourself a good talking to

 

[Martin]

Example from the US, signs mentioning 1000 Dollar fine for littering. But I never have seen more rubbish along the streets.
 

However, at present staying in North Wales, I have never seen cleaner streets and beaches. People removing the dogs poo so you can walk across the lawn at Picknick areas. In Germany dangerous to walk on a public lawn because of the „mines“. 
 

All the People have mobile devices and are so proud to be in networks they call „social“ but the real behavior 

 

We have to clean our front yard regularly. 

[Mark]

Broken Windows Theory. One piece of litter, graffiti etc. will attract more and more and more. A small sign at the spot, No littering in bright red lettering, may make some think twice. (probably to much red tape) 

[JohnD]

As I told earlier, again this year I travelled to Le Mans and back using French Aires as night stops.  As always, they were entirely free of litter.   Only the bigger ones have litter bins, and none had fatuous signs threatening to fine people.   The French respect their countryside!

[Nick Jones]

22 hours ago, JohnD said:

Telling us may vent you spleen but isn't there a village blog, or even local paper to write to?

I’m keeping quiet about it locally as I’m very curious to see whether anyone (including the complainers) actually notices that the litter has been picked up!

[PeteStupps]

Good on you Nick. I have been round my local park with a litter-picker once or twice. You've inspired me to have another crack one evening this week

[Escadrille Ecosse]

3 hours ago, PeteStupps said:

Good on you Nick. I have been round my local park with a litter-picker once or twice. You've inspired me to have another crack one evening this week

We have periodic street clearing with a number of the other residents. Uphill battle but good man.

7 hours ago, JohnD said:

The French respect their countryside!

Patriotism, French style.

[Wolfrace.]

On 8/15/2022 at 10:30 AM, JohnD said:

As I told earlier, again this year I travelled to Le Mans and back using French Aires as night stops.  As always, they were entirely free of litter.   Only the bigger ones have litter bins, and none had fatuous signs threatening to fine people.   The French respect their countryside!

They respect their Police much more.

I've seen the outcome of a British tourist say ‘bol%%%%%’ to a Gendarme who told him to pick up a can he’d chucked on the deck. The response was plus de very robust, and he was last seen being beaten senseless into the back une Paddy Wagon

 

[JohnD]

In August last year, I posted above about being leafleted by the pathetic racists, "Patriotic Alternative".   I've just discovered where they came from!

A woman in Barrow on Furness accused men of grooming and assaulting her, sexually and physically.   She published pictures of her injuries online.   The police took her seriously,  and the public, at least a certain section of the public, were activated.    Asians became the victims of wild accusations, wild, because the police soon realised that the woman  had two years before been found guilty of perverting the course of justice by falsely accusing men of rape.  Sad to say that was not her first such false accusation, and she clearly suffers from something akin to Munchausens Syndrome, where people pretend to suffer from illness.

"Patriotic Alternative" was one of the social media generated horrors that this affair generated.   See https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/04/how-eleanor-williamss-lies-about-grooming-and-abuse-unravelled

Social media should be in the dock, not this poor, ill woman.

John

[Nick Jones]

It's building up again.  People are such animals.  At this time of year when you are driving around with windows firmly shut, it's a planned, considered .action to wind down the window and lob your rubbish out.

Anyhow, as a major road about 6 miles away is closed for drainage work, lots of people think the official diversion is too long and are short-cutting through our village (including many HGVs who don't apparently understand the concept of the 7.5t weight limits) there is waay too much traffic for any litter picking activity and no doubt a higher rate of deposition.  Perhaps we should deploy a couple of snipers.....

[Escadrille Ecosse]

1 hour ago, Nick Jones said:

Perhaps we should deploy a couple of snipers.....

Actual personal jeopardy is one of the most effective deterrents

[JohnD]

https://sigmasecuritydevices.com/product/stinger-spike-system/