Countryside folks are dramatic about litter

[Thehonestybox]

I've always lived in big northern industrial cities, but recently my freelance work has meant I've been working a lot in very rural countryside (peak district, moors & Cumbria). At first I was sympathetic everytime a local said something about the litter being a blight, or outsiders climbing hills in flip flops, or people not closing sheep gates, etc etc.

But recently I've just thought - why am I sympathising?!

Us city livers see litter literally EVERYWHERE. I wouldn't dream of leaving my door unlocked at night and antisocial behavior is through the roof. And yet the other day I was working in a rural village and the person I was talking to spotted (with terminator level of vision) a Walkers crisp packet about half a mile away on a hill and I think I literally saw her pulse race through her neck as she said "and THIS is what I'm talking about!! ".

AIBU to wonder why countryside people feel like they should be immune to other people's selfishness?

If I was in Leeds centre and had an aneurysm over an empty packet of Nik Naks I think my colleagues would suggest I take a holiday.

(I suppose I'm referring to fairly wealthy people here, either farmers with land ownership or ex-city early retirees. TBF anyone 'working class' I've met in the countryside has been fairly welcoming to outsiders)

What???? Litter is never acceptable. Just because the sheeple in the cities are happy to chuck it all over the place and get the council to clean it up, doesn't mean everywhere accepts it. Lazy and dangerous and bloody disgusting

OP you are taking being deliberately obtuse to a whole new level.

It's basic common sense and being aware of your surroundings none of which you appear to be comfortable with.

EVERYONE hates litter in the countryside. Seriously. Ramblers in Goretex and farmers and everyone in between. All of us. Honestly. I’ve asked em all.

No, it's not that people who live in the country that are dramatic, it's you who is being ignorant.

I've literally never littered in my entire life. I've never seen anyone I know litter. It's the same small group of inconsiderate people doing it everywhere. Chucking mcdonalds wrappers out the car window etc. None of us want them, and yet we're made to feel like it's a part of citylife

People are pigs. I lived on the south downs national park for years and people just tossed all their crap out of the window. The downs is covered in rubbish. On any walk I could pick up 2 binbags of rubbish in an hour.

Say what?

If they can't assess that flip flops would be a good choice, they shouldn't be out of the house alone.

Everyone is trying to clean them up, but if someone in Leeds centre moaned about 1 piece of litter people would roll their eyes, so why is countryside more important just because some folk can afford to live there and the rest of us can't?

FFS are you not even bothering to read other peoples posts?

in Leeds city centre, it's exceedingly unlikely to kill a cow or a horse! It's not just unsightly, it's dangerous numb nuts.

and yet we're made to feel like it's a part of citylife

By whom?

You’ve witnessed awful crimes in the city, and the police seemed resigned to it … so therefore rural people should stfu about litter?

Make it make sense

OP, the equivalent to telling someone who’s had her laptop nicked that it’s to be expected because they live in the city, is telling rural people who have no public transport that it’s their own fault for living in the country. And people do that on here all the time.

In what way am I being obtuse? I just wanted to moan about all the crap we have to put up with in the cities. And I've found that although all the countryside residents I've met (personally) flip out over one piece of litter, they can't be arsed to listen to me complain about the crap where I live.

Not being obtuse. Just frustrated and needed an outlet. And OK if I'm being honest, I'm feeling bitter about my lot in life being stuck in a miserable council flat in a tower block instead of a big detached house with fresh air and countryside

Just... wow.

What is this - Top Trumps?

Next you'll be moaning about people in the countryside who complain that there's no public transport any more. After all, people in big cities have to put up with all the traffic jams and exhaust fumes, and RMT strikes, and people who live in the countryside chose to live there, in the fresh air.

Everyone is trying to clean them up, but if someone in Leeds centre moaned about 1 piece of litter people would roll their eyes, so why is countryside more important just because some folk can afford to live there and the rest of us can't?

Are you being wilfully obtuse?

People moan about litter whether they live in town or country.
That doesn't make one area "more important."
Maybe country folk don't moan about town litter because THEY ARE NOT USUALLY THERE TO SEE IT.
Maybe town people don't moan about country litter because IT SEEMS SO MUCH LESS THAT THEIR OWN, even though this lesser amount is deadly to livestock & wildlife.

How is it that you are surprised by this? Let alone working yourself up into a froth with a totally fictitious narrative about whose turf is more "important"?

btw, I live in a deeply rural part of Britain, which is way more affordable than anything in Leeds so I'm not sure why you are shoehorning in a class/money agenda. Couldn't be 'cos you're feeling a bit goady tonight, could it?

I think it's called victim blaming. Theft is a crime that has a victim. Not enough trains is something else...

Yep, this.

And the people who leave litter are fucking disgusting, too.

Find a bin, ffs, and if you can't find a bin, fucking well take it home.

Don’t get me started on people who bag their dog shit and then leave it on the ground🤬….at least if they just leave it without bagging then it’ll biodegrade - the bag won’t and poses a danger to wildlife and farmed animals. And then you get the flytippers who can’t be arsed to go to the (free!) council tip so dump their crap on the rural verges. And it’s usually townies that do it to be fair!! Sky lanterns & helium balloons should also be banned!! Ok, I’m off for a g&t (or two) and to admire the view whilst taking deep breaths😆

This.

I once cut myself on some pampas grass. It hurt. Therefore people should stop complaining about restaurants that add the service charge to the bill.

But you are not comparing like with like.

If they were complaining about all the mud, smell of shit, that that can’t nip to the corner shop, that their internet connection is crap, the lack of public transport, the noise from the farms, the lack of opportunities for young people - then you would have a point. But all these things are part and parcel of living in the countryside. The trade off for the lower crime rate etc is that you have to drive 15 miles for a pint of milk after 5pm.

Please ignore massive generalisation above - I know not all townies are litter dropping thugs!!

So this all stems down to jealousy? I get it.

I suggest you stop being ridiculous and look up rural poverty, OP. It's a thing.

Oh, pull the other leg OP - it's got a hiking boot bells on it.

In your world, do country dwellers who have zero experience of eg trams, fall underneath them?

No, because 99% of humans are able to assimilate information & risk-assess situations, as they are not feigning an ingenue act about their own child-like naivety ...

so why is countryside more important just because some folk can afford to live there and the rest of us can't?

It isn’t more important, it’s different because the majority of people who live there aren’t content to wallow in their own filth… or anybody else’s filth.

It doesn’t cost anything not to drop litter.

You've got me there a bit tbf. I am in a bizarre situation of working amongst lots of very lucky and wealthy people who've either retired at 50, or inherited some land. I suppose subconsciously maybe I felt like goading those people because I can't do it in my job... Well, at least it's given some people a conversation to get involved in on a Friday night 😥