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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do people that throw litter out of the car window think the countryside is a giant bin.

28 replies

Pheasantsfeather · 06/08/2026 19:48

I've just walked the dog down the lane as I do every night. I now take a bag with me a couple of times per week to collect all of the litter. We love about 4/5 miles outside of the nearest town on a lane of farmland and houses. It's regularly got disposable coffee cups, McDonald's wrappers, plastic bottles thrown in the hedges and verges. I've just wrestled a McDonald's wrapper out of my labs mouth.

Do people really leave town, finish their food and drink and just wind down the window and lob it out, without considering that people and animals live here and someone has to pick it up? What is it with lack of pride and respect in the UK.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
JesseDavisGonnaHangOnInThereNSoul · 06/08/2026 22:40

Netcurtainnelly · 06/08/2026 22:21

Their parents never taught them to pick up their litter and the adverts on TV were taken away.

Keep Britain tidy
Young people in white t-shirts
Pif 70s.

AsHot · 06/08/2026 22:38

Absolute fucking skanks.

climbintheback · 06/08/2026 22:34

I’ve often said if I caught them red handed I would end up in prison! I keep our country lane relatively clean and I remove at least a carrier bag full every week, very satisfying but sad at the state of our country.

TallSturdyGirls · 06/08/2026 22:24

They are cunts. Nothing more to add.

Accipe · 06/08/2026 22:23

Simonjt · 06/08/2026 19:50

I don’t think they think at all.

The moron in a convertible who threw a ketchup covered chip tray at my feet certainly regretted it, I picked it up, caught up with him at the traffic lights, turn it over and dropped it on his nice light trousers, 'I believe you dropped this back there', luckily the lights turned to green so he had to drive off, effing and jeffing loudly.

Netcurtainnelly · 06/08/2026 22:21

Their parents never taught them to pick up their litter and the adverts on TV were taken away.

TheDogsMother · 06/08/2026 22:21

This pisses me off beyond belief. How hard is it to take it home and dispose of properly ? I

Mrstawnyowl · 06/08/2026 22:19

Thingcanonlygetbetter · 06/08/2026 19:59

OP I was driving to work one morning and saw a takeaway bag lobbed on my lovely countryside road. Stopped the car and picked it up. Low and behold it had the persons name and phone number on the receipt. I phoned him, was expecting to be told where to go but he was actually very apologetic. The litter picked by volunteers in our village is insane. I would love to have a magic power were I could wave a wand at any litter I see or any dog shite not picked up. My magic wand would place said items under the pillow of the culprit who didn’t do the right thing.

Ha ha! I sometimes imagine being Sam from Bewitched, twitching my nose and the rubbish ends up back where it came from.

PermanentTemporary · 06/08/2026 22:07

I do fantasise about someone who actually does this posting on a thread like this… obviously I can see why they don’t but I just don’t understand the thought process or lack of it.

I remember being unable to think where to put a piece of litter when I was about 8 or something and dropping it on the ground and my Mum TEARING into me. It’s not hard to teach a child not to do it.

JesseDavisGonnaHangOnInThereNSoul · 06/08/2026 21:05

unsync · 06/08/2026 20:03

@Pheasantsfeather There's no thought process at all. I bet it doesn't even occur to them that their actions are detrimental.

On my dog walk, there's empty packaging for a water bottle made from recycled material touting the benefits to the environment. You couldn't make it up, could you?

One of my bugbears is people who park to eat their meal deal, then open the car door, tuck the rubbish under the car and drive off.

Aye keep their car tidy but turn where others live into a bin.
I've saw this in the communal carpark there are two bins on each entrance of our respective blocks🤯

nomas · 06/08/2026 20:56

It’s everywhere. In my city, just 5 metres from a bin, a man casually threw a big, full, open bottle of Yoplait on the ground when his bus arrived. There was no hesitation from him, it was instantaneous. Mess all over.

purplecorkheart · 06/08/2026 20:37

Sadly it is becoming so common. We are friends with a very elderly couple who live in a very rural location. The area they live in is blighted by rubbish dumper as it is so remote but more recently people fling rubbish in their front garden as the road is quite a bit higher than their cottage and site. It is heartbreaking to see the upset it is causing them. They are lucky that their neighbour has three teens who clear up for them. Those dumpers are scum.

TheBayHorse · 06/08/2026 20:18

YANBU. It's shit. I live in a tourist hot spot in a National Park. There's always dropped litter on our road and the surrounding areas.

The other day DH found used nappies and disposable BBQs discarded on the local pitch and putt. These people are imbeciles and don't deserve access to beautiful places.

Mandarinclementine · 06/08/2026 20:17

Pistachiocake · 06/08/2026 19:59

They probably spend all their time moaning about dog owners like you having the temerity to be there, as well. Some areas ban dogs, yet welcome families like this.

I don’t think areas welcome litterers, in general. Plenty of dog owners don’t pick up after their dogs unfortunately. Others leave poo bags adorning the bushes.
Same sort of behaviour really.
It’s all horrible, totally with you on this OP.

2026letsgo · 06/08/2026 20:12

I’m a country girl so bought up to not litter.
As an adult I was walking behind a woman with her friend and what would be her mum. She looked normal - not particularly chavy- and she finished eating her crisps and just dropped the empty packet, not even a thought.
Sounds pathetic but I was actually too shocked to say anything. Neither person she was with commented. I know it’s just a crisp packet but the idea of littering is akin to kicking a passing puppy or telling a stranger to fuck off. Rude and unnecessary.

Sprinked · 06/08/2026 20:04

How can people behave like this. I don’t remember specifically telling my kids not to throw rubbish on the ground but surely it’s obvious to all decent citizens. My children are as appalled as I am by people like this.

It’s not just the countryside, I live in London and it’s full of it. People just have no community responsibility anymore.

I fantasise about a world where people throw litter onto the ground and somehow it triggers an electric shock from the ground to their hand. Not a fatal one but a nasty shock nonetheless. A woman can dream…

unsync · 06/08/2026 20:03

@Pheasantsfeather There's no thought process at all. I bet it doesn't even occur to them that their actions are detrimental.

On my dog walk, there's empty packaging for a water bottle made from recycled material touting the benefits to the environment. You couldn't make it up, could you?

One of my bugbears is people who park to eat their meal deal, then open the car door, tuck the rubbish under the car and drive off.

OhOneOhTwoOhThree · 06/08/2026 20:01

Yup. There's a McDonalds about a mile from my house so our roadside is littered with their detritus. My local council encourages volunteer litter pickers, but I'd much rather people jut took it home.

Out on a countryside walk today and I came across a carrier bag in the hedgerow, so rescued it and filled it with an assortment of plastic bottles, cans, crisp packets and so on by the time I reached a bin.

Thingcanonlygetbetter · 06/08/2026 19:59

OP I was driving to work one morning and saw a takeaway bag lobbed on my lovely countryside road. Stopped the car and picked it up. Low and behold it had the persons name and phone number on the receipt. I phoned him, was expecting to be told where to go but he was actually very apologetic. The litter picked by volunteers in our village is insane. I would love to have a magic power were I could wave a wand at any litter I see or any dog shite not picked up. My magic wand would place said items under the pillow of the culprit who didn’t do the right thing.

Pistachiocake · 06/08/2026 19:59

They probably spend all their time moaning about dog owners like you having the temerity to be there, as well. Some areas ban dogs, yet welcome families like this.

Abra1t · 06/08/2026 19:55

I honestly think they think ‘the council’ sends people around to clear the lanes.

Or fairies.

Fairyliz · 06/08/2026 19:54

I nearly started the same thread op, it’s disgusting isn’t it why don’t they take it home.
The whole of the UK is becoming a dirty shitheap; it’s particularly noticeable when you come home, everywhere abroad seems so much cleaner in comparison.
No it’s not the councils responsibility; take it home with you and put it in your bin.

Pheasantsfeather · 06/08/2026 19:53

I honestly can't comprehend the thought process. You could just drive it home and put it in the bin. The coffee cup or takeaway bag isn't taking up so much room that it needs throwing out of the car this second.

OP posts:
PermanentTemporary · 06/08/2026 19:53

It’s hideous isn’t it. I still do go out and clear but it feels hopeless.

Hatty65 · 06/08/2026 19:53

I wonder that too.

Along with the dumping of black binliners of rubbish and old furniture/white goods in field gateways.

What kind of arsehole does this?

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