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I've noticed a lot more litter on and around my local trails recently, strangely it's got worse weeks into the lockdown. I'm planning on going out with my 30l backpack (lined with a bin liner) on a future ride to pick up the stuff that's away from the carparks, bollocks I should have done this today!
I was aware of the phenomenon of people littering where they see litter but never knew that is was called 'broken window theory' it's the only reason I wash my car (not fussed myself unless it's really bad as it's just a tool to do a job) as I'm aware that people tend to respect things more if they see that it is well maintained already.
Doings it as a dirty protest (as they feel powerless at these times) has only just occurred to me. I've heard that people do this at work too often in the toilets (after chatting to cleaners in quite fancy corporate buildings they have told me about excrement being smeared all over the toilet walls and floor. Found in both the male and female loos 😲).
Don't put a cat in a bin! Remember what happened to the last woman that did that?
I'm equally amazed at the problem in the UK. Being from NZ I can't fathom how bystanders don't pipe up when people leave their rubbish behind. It's engrained in NZ from school to " keep NZ green" and it really works. It almost seems acceptable here to just leave your crap behind and someone will take care of it. If you carry it there you can carry it back!
bgascoyne - see my post above.
If you dare to confront the litter lout, you get a torrent of abuse and/or threatening behaviour. I'm small and old and they wouldn't care one jot about punching me.
We are taught in schools and myself by my family, it was drummed into us to take care of our environment and not drop litter. But, like a lot of things it's not cool or for a teenager (in front of all their mates) to be seen doing the right thing.
In the last decade or so its been cool to 'break the rules, be an individual, break the mold' etc. Atm this is imo part of the problem.
I live by a school and often saw the parents dropping the litter in front of their children, what a bad example that is. Because I believe the schools have enough on their plate, this kind of learning needs to come from a parent or family member.
In the last decade or so its been cool to ‘break the rules, be an individual, break the mold’ etc. Atm this is imo part of the problem.
Think that's been going on for more than a decade.
s/a Adam Curtis Century of The Self.
**** sake
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Jnr has finally taken to his balance bike during lockdown and I took him to some local woods for his first off road ride last week (poacher woods in winstanley, Wigan) the local kids have been busy building an impressive jump line but have also installed bins and signage with rules such as wear a helmet and don’t drop litter, the bins where half full with hardly any litter on the floor.
A collective of kids all working together and respecting the rules.
It warmed my heart to see this 🙂.
Unfortunately I will be going back to work soon. I litterpick and remove flytip as part of my job role for a large housing association in a neighbouring town and the attitude to littering is totally different, confrontations with the knuckledraggers responsible are common and I’m never short of work.
I HATE litter.
the longer I spend ouside the UK the more I realise it's a very British thing to sh!t on your own doorstep almost with pride. When I moved back to UK from Australia it was the first thing I noticed driving back from the airport, just endless litter along the roadside. Now I've been in europe for a while it just seems even more clearly a UK thing. The dog mess in bags in trees or on fences is a defining British thing to me.
I think in general Brits have this self entitled attitude that someone else will do everything for them, like when it snows and everyone complains the council haven't cleared their pavement or street yet, people expect someone to scurry along picking up their litter and dog mess.
There is so much wrong with this country; if I was 20 years younger I would be emigrating.
do it! There is still time! I can't imagine moving back now although I do miss the Scottish hills. I will warn you the longer you spend away from the UK the more you realise what a dirty, decaying, squabbling, in fighting backward looking little island it is though.
@Bigjim - that is a very accurate description.
I don't know why i still live in this country sometimes....I remember 20 years ago i'd done the back pack thing around India, Thailand & Vietnam (cliched i know, but there we are!) for 13 months. I was surprising my parents by just rocking up on their doorstep...so i got the train from Manchester Airport to Piccadilly Station and then the bus home. I was literally horrified by how dirty things were and (with the greatest of respect) the underclass that was present. I'd come from what one would class as third world countries at the time, but they were still proud of what they had, were friendly and would give you their last. People seem a lot more aggressive, expectant, entitled and arrogant for some reason.
I know taht there are loads of good people who do good things, but for some reason every time i go out i just see peoples behaviour which is way of whack to mine! I'm glad it's not just me and that plenty on here see it too!
...a dirty, decaying, squabbling, in fighting backward looking little island it is though.
Sums up my opinion of the country perfectly! It has definitely got worse since the Brexit vote and nastiness, selfishness and verbal violence are being actively fanned by the current administration. Circumstances permitting I would be out of here like a shot and can honestly say that there is very little that I would miss.
The unconscious thinking by the poorer members of our society that do the littering is screw them, they don’t care about me, so why should I care about them? See Brexit etc. Since Thatcher In the late 70s to the current anti-poor propaganda of benefit scroungers the masses at the bottom of the economic pyramid have been crapped on from above so dirty protests are one of the few ways to annoy those who control and limit their lives. I don’t condone it, but I think I can feel where the attitude comes from. In that sense we’re all to blame for creating a society where this has happened
I actually love our country.
On the whole most people are decent. The countryside is beautiful. For me the plus points far out weigh the bad.
However there will always be the few who spoil it for everyone. The good people are too scared to say anything to the litter louts.
Our adjoined neighbours decided they would like to live in a nicer area, so they chose our road. They have made no effort to fit in, they've brought their bad habits with them, their horrid friends (who supply the drugs), they throw litter, take no notice of others, have not contributed in any way to the community. In fact during this pandemic they've decided all the rules don't apply to them. Whereas others make sure everyone else is ok (this has always been the case), leave their key, do chores, just general nice neighbourly things.
It's all about education.
In fact I can’t recall a single country I’ve been to where I’ve seen litter like you do here.
Never been to eastern/southern europe or anywhere third world? Pride in their immediate locale, but any outdoor space or city is just a free for all. although in fairness lack of public funds for clearup could mean less littering, but more litter.
The people keen to blame a group of 'others' to fit their own agendas - "its not the locals, its the tourists." lockdown happens, still litter. "its people who frequent fast food establishments". restaurants shut, litter continues with supermarket bought sandwiches and crisps and cans - need to get a bit of a grip and realise its some people that will do it regardless of their class, ethnicity, and so on.
In fact I can’t recall a single country I’ve been to where I’ve seen litter like you do here
Try Morocco. I was horrified the first time I went there as there's rubbish everywhere. Plastic bottle are strewn along the roads, it's shocking.
The unconscious thinking by the poorer members of our society that do the littering is screw them, they don’t care about me, so why should I care about them?
I really doubt many people litter as a conscious or unconscious political act
It's almost as bad as TJ blaming the prevention measures countering Irish republican terrorism in public spaces
I really doubt there is much difference in propensity to litter across the demographics. It's just some people have a world view that has a different set of values which are frankly selfish.
I once challenged someone at a MTB race who threw a banana skin in front of me, his view was it wasn't an issue. I told him if he didn't pick it up I would have to, he chose to pick it up fortunately. He clearly didn't think beyond his own bubble.