Litter Bugs Me!

As Alex and I were leaving our flat today, there were two guys walking along the street past the houses adjacent to us, one with a dog in tow. The first guy without the dog dropped a blue plastic carrier bag on the floor with what I can only assume had rubbish in it and strolled off into the sunset. The second guy noticed that Alex and I had seen this and attempted to hide the bag, by pushing it with his foot between other left rubbish in the street. He should have told his mate to pick it up, not try and hide it for him.

Anyway, I was going to tell the first one to pick it up, but it is Alex’s birthday after all (erm, why am I writing this blog?) and I didn’t think it right to be having words with somebody over litter on his big day! But, litter bugs me, it always has, always will do. It’s just lazy. I’m guessing people who drop litter, wouldn’t do it outside their own front door or if a Police Officer was walking along the street (well, you can dream). It’s selective litter dropping!

It was only the other week that I saw a woman walking along the same street with several kids. As they walked behind her, they dropped everything from chocolate wrappers to crisps packets. The woman who appeared as mum, was constantly turning around to the kids telling them off for not walking fast enough – but said nothing about the litter trail they were leaving… who are they meant to learn from?

I don’t want to live in a police state, but we should respect our country and keep it tidy. We surely can’t be giving the right message to those people who visit the UK each year. I remember sitting on a London Bus about a month ago watching two women demolish a bucket of KFC between them – delicious as it may be! Apart from making my tummy rumble and stinking the bus out, they then left their bucket under the seat. Listening to the women and seeing how they were dressed, I think it’s safe to say they weren’t British or definitely not brought up here. So, who are they watching were they think it is acceptable to dump litter? It’s not.

Maybe we as a nation should take a leaf out of Singapore’s stance on litter, were it is not only illegal but people just don’t do it. Maybe more out of fear than respect. Friends who have been to Singapore and I’ve been twice, say it is too strict and clinical with regards to litter. I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up of seeing people and in particular citizens of these Great Isles drop anything they want, when they want, where they want, with no regards for the environment.

Let’s ‘Keep Britain Tidy’…

This has been an iPhone ‘litter is dirty’ blog from my ‘View from the Bottom’, Max.

www.blog.kevinmaxwell.co.uk

© 2010 Kevin Maxwell Media & Performance – Published by My Mum