Who taught their offspring it’s ok to litter?

I live in a national park near a popular beauty spot. The amount of rubbish left behind after a sunny day is deeply depressing and I avoid it for that reason.

I can't understand the mindset of someone who chooses to go to a beautiful place (presumably because it looks beautiful) and then leaves all their rubbish behind.

I think it's got worse since Covid when we started to get more visitors who were new to visiting rural areas (not the traditional hill walkers) and who maybe don't know how to behave in the countryside.

As a family we often pick litter up if we've got a bag with us. My young adult children are even more rigorous about it than I am. DD21 has always been like that, as a small child she always insisted on picking up litter in the street and finding a bin and she still hates it.

I saw two secondary school kids walking along the street talking, suddenly one shouted to the other “why did you throw that on the floor? Put it in the bin” and he did. So some kids are being taught to not litter by other kids. Amazing.

I was in the gym at a fancy hotel the other week and through the window I watched a mother and toddler standing outside eating some sweets and throwing the wrappers on the ground. Then the mother opened the door to her car, which was parked where it shouldn’t have been, and get out wedding outfits and go inside.

It’s probably the same parents who don’t make their kids wear seatbelts, or say thank you. The type of parents who swear at their kids and others. The type who put themselves first.

I suspect, like me, you live in a nice place and surround yourself with decent people, but there are loads of idiots out there.

The other day, I was at a class with my 5 year old when two toddlers came onto the class grounds. The teacher blocked their way and guided them out (so they didn’t get hurt) and the dad called her a cunt for doing that. In front of all of our kids and his own. He’s clearly a horrible person and I’m sure a prime candidate for littering and other selfish behaviours.

Some people just put themselves first and take no regard for others.

I was taught 'to take nothing but photo's and leave nothing but footprints' which i drilled into mine (to the point I would carry a carrier bag around and then we'd find a bin/take it home)

My mate taught her kids to just throw it on the floor-i was shocked when the little one didn't want her chocolate bar so was told to 'just throw it on the floor'

I did pull her up on it and pointed out there was a bin 5 yards away but was told 'I cant be bothered'

They've grown up to be litter louts and don't see the problem

I'm 50 and remember constant Keep Britain Tidy campaigns when I was a little kid. Doomposting.

What @GrumpySparkler said nails it IMO.
‘I think it shows a general societal shift towards individualism rather than being a part of a community and taking pride in that community.’

It's disgraceful, but it's often the parents doing it in FRONT of the children. I came out of a supermarket recently and a father and his kid were eating McDonald's. I watched as the dad just opened the door and put all the rubbish on the floor.

I went straight over and posted it back through the window whilst doing a whole little spiel about how Daddy has been very bad but he's going to take all the rubbish and put it in a proper bin. The Dad actually had the good grace to look embarrassed but STILLL - what is wrong with people?

I hate it too OP. Where I live now, there is a wonderful army of volunteer litter pickers that I see out regularly and, my word, it makes such a difference! My kids school also go out with them at least once a year, which is wonderful!
But where I used to live, it was exactly as you describe. Litter and dog shit everywhere.
I had a 5 minute walk to work and would literally be turd hopping the whole way! I think it shows a general societal shift towards individualism rather than being a part of a community and taking pride in that community.

This makes me furious!

I walk my dog every day in the same beautiful parkland.
In the summer I have to be so careful because of the shocking mess left behind-chicken bones etc.

People manage to carry a full picnic out onto the grass, eat the picnic and then are suddenly unable to clear up the mess??? So they leave it.

They have come from other places to picnic here because it is beautiful and then they trash it.

I loathe people who litter.

Totally agree!! We were in beautiful part of Scotland a few years ago and car in front chucked rubbish out if window. Beggars belief. By the side of some roads its absolutely disgusting.

Sometimes parents do everything right and their children still do stupid, thoughtless things as adults.

I don't get it either. It was drilled into me, and I drilled it into my DC. I'm always a bit shocked when I see an adult just casually toss an empty can of red bull out of their car window and onto a country lane