Do you ever drop litter?

[SwanOfThoseThings]

Inspired by the thread about the UK being in terminal decline.

It's true that there is litter everywhere, and this is by no means a new problem, litter has been a problem in the UK for as long as I can remember, and I'm in my 50s.

But - who is dropping it? It's the sort of thing no one admits to.

Are you a reformed litterer? Have you ever been forced to leave litter behind in an emergency situation? Have you ever been out and about with someone who dropped litter?

No we don't but then we had 'keep Britan tidy' drummed into us as kids.
We also taught our kids not to litter.
Now... everyone seems to drop it where they like.

Nope never dropped any if I’m not near a bin I will wait till I get to one. I hate seeing litter on the floor - I’ve seen people throw it out of car windows a few times (not people I know)

Absolutely never. It’s one of the (very few) things I’ve retained from being dinned in to me as a young child. There’s no conscious virtue in my not littering. It would simply never occur to me to do it any more than it would occur to me to randomly assault a passerby.

In Catherine Fox’s novel Angels and Men, a priest tells a theology student that the definition of middle-class is ‘more easily able to imagine killing someone than littering’.

I'm a child of the 50s and 60s and it was drummed into us, too, both at home and at school.

I might throw an apple core into a hedge to rot down, but I have never knowingly discarded litter.

I live in Dorset and the amount of rubbish that is thrown out of cars or blows out of open trucks littering the verges along dual carriageways is shocking.

Certainly not. I hate it. I always say something if I see it happen. I'm a hardfaced old bag though, I appreciate others may not be so robust.

Never see litter where I live nor do I drop any.

Scruffy, disgusting people litter. I once threw some rubbish back in to an open top car which had just thrown litter out. ‘Twas incredibly satisfying, filthy pigs. Sadly there are a lot of youngsters who think littering is acceptable.

Never. I also challenge people that do. Yes. I am that person.

At school we had letters sent home if we were seen eating in the street!

A colleague came into the office one day furious because she’d just had an on-the-spot fine for dropping a cigarette butt.

While the other smokers sympathised, I kept looking at my screen because I couldn’t help smiling. It sounded totally reasonable to me & hopefully would stop any of them doing it in future.

No never have done and I’m always shocked when I see it happen and make a comment in disgust. Can’t believe how much rubbish is everywhere

No I’m a random person who picks up other peoples litter at the park. Hate litter it makes a place look so untidy and umkempt. It really doesn’t take much to put it in a bin. It’s probably a good thing I’m not in charge of the world I’d condemn all the litter bugs to live in one place with no decent refuse collection. Birmingham essentially and see how they like it.

I suggested the same to a group of mums in a coffee shop recently and their answer was the same.

I've seen disgusting messes left by families in cafes, hotels, on the beach and at picnic spots who have no shame at all.

They genuinely think it's below them to take their rubbish with them, and that the world is st their service to clean up after them, wherever they go.

I can’t abide littering and I think we should be able to talk about it and not shut people down for whatever they think the contributing factors are. Interesting to hear about the Kiwi campaign.

I’m a 70s child and the Wombles of Wimbledon had a huge effect on me plus my parents did take the time to parent me properly and so I wouldn’t have dreamed of littering. Even throwing an apple core out of the car window felt naughty but was allowed if into a hedge.

No. Even as a child I knew it was wrong.

A couple of years ago we were in a seaside town, queueing for icecreams. The mum and son in front of us had made their choices and the lad was peeling the paper from his lolly. He dropped it on the ground, so I waited for a minute to see if Mum would say anything, but she didn't so I did. All I said was to pick it up. The mum went ballistic, said it wasn't her son's wrapper when clearly it was. Anyway she picked it up and gave it to her son, whereupon, he promptly dropped it again. You couldn't make it up!

I’ve noticed much more litter in hedges, at traffic lights, roundabouts etc. I think it may also be due to council cuts and not enough work done to clean it up.

A road I travel along sometimes has a lot of litter in the hedgerows and along the verge. It's too narrow for anyone, council or volunteers, to work there safely. The road would have to be closed on that side in order to do it.

All the litter must be thrown from vehicles; no-one walks along there.

Like pp, I was brought up never to drop litter, so I never do. If you can't see a litter bin, take it home.

we’re not allowed to be proud of our country in the UK, because that is considered racist.

On MN, we're certainly not allowed to be proud of being English. You can see that if anyone dares to start a thread on St George's Day, or about flying the English flag.

Never

I pick up other people's litter

So annoying !

On bin collection day my road looks like a rubbish tip after the bin men have been. Everyone now seems tired of clearing it so just clears their front gardens and leaves the actual road/pavements unless it’s causing an obstruction.

Never. In fact, I am a litter picker. If I'm out and about, there's a good chance I'll be picking up and bagging other people's rubbish.

Absolutely never ! i loathe anyone who drops litter .
My children would never have dared to do so either and my whole extended family are the same , we have had so many family picnics over the years and never a sign we were there left behind ,litter always taken home.

I dropped litter 17 years ago at Reading festival when in a huge crowd waiting for a band and no bins around. That is honestly the only time I can recall littering , it’s so grim to me. As a result my car and handbags are full of wrappers and unwanted receipts etc

No, and I am part of a litter picking group so very regularly pick up huge amounts of litter. Far too many people are just arrogant, entitled arse holes however the council don't help - bins with no ties, bin collecters who don't pick up what they themselves drop and I can't remember the last time I saw a council litter picker, I also think shops should have to keep their surrounding area tidy ( local McDonald's are good at doing this).

I hate it! It just makes places look so depressing! I pick up bits and bobs in our front garden and from the street near us. I've done the odd litter pick, but there's just so much. I cleared a tiny patch of ground near my local station and it looks just as bad again.

Never ever done this, and have taught my dcs not to do it either. It is disgusting. Even food which rots such as apple cores etc, can be a danger to wildlife I'd have thought as well.

I hate it as well, when people's recycling blows all over because they don't weight their bin lids down.