Hey Deerfield: The Street Is Not a Garbage Can!
Everyone has their own personal cause these days. My family laughed that I was all worked up over garbage. But I am, and here’s why.
When did the street become a universal garbage can? When did drivers decide it was OK to throw their disgusting trash out the window into the street?
If it had just happened once of late, I would blow it off. But when it occurs multiple times in the same week, I just want to pull a citizen's arrest and throw these litterers in the slammer!
Alright, now I might be overreacting just a little bit, which I am certainly known to do, but what is going on? The biggest offenders are definitely smokers. Many smokers must believe that the street and sidewalk is their public garbage can. I have seen many individuals, both men and women, toss their cigarette butts right out the window. There are others, working in my neighborhood, that stand outside the house and still throw their butts in the street. Yuck!
The ones that really get me are the people who throw their garbage out the window of their car. Literally, garbage. A soda or coffee cup, a straw or candy wrapper, a kleenex even! At a stoplight, open the window, and throw the garbage out the window. When did we decide as a society that this was acceptable?
I hated living in the city for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons was I couldn’t stand how dirty the streets and sidewalks were. For the most part, Deerfield keeps its streets and sidewalks clean, which make our houses and neighborhoods look well-kept. But, if this keeps up, and the traffic and construction continue, we may as well be living in the city.
In reviewing the laws of the State of Illinois, penalties are pretty severe if caught littering on public highways. Penalties include but are not limited to a fine as well as “litter control” on a designated area of highway for 30 days.
Locally, I’m not sure littering takes on the same level of punishment here in Deerfield, but I wish it would. It is easy enough to throw a plastic bag in your car, toss your trash in there and throw in in a proper receptacle at a gas station, a place of work, or even the garbage can at your home.
As a society are we getting lazier or have we just stopped caring? What can we do to make these litterers stop? Maybe a “litter control” unit working Deerfield Road would be good incentive.
Editor's note: The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author, Elizabeth Fish, and do not necessarily reflect those of Patch or Deerfield Patch. Thank you for reading!
DZ
8:47 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
You should be fortunate for how clean our streets are. Try living in New York City or India then youll know dirty streets.
Keith Sanderson
8:55 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
So, does that mean you can't bend over and pick up a piece of litter? Litter exists for two reasons. Some of us are pigs and act like pigs. Most of the rest of us are too lazy to bend over.
Keith Sanderson
8:52 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Not only is litter unsightly it kills and injures and maims pets as well as wild animals. See my recent article "Litter Kills" at http://www.examiner.com/animal-advocacy-in-chicago/max-a-pooch-asks-love-animals-then-hate-litter and you will understand why Max A Pooch the recycled dog who recycles hates litter.
Max A Pooch has been doing what most people won't for two years. He picks up litter and deposits it in trash or recycling containers. Athletic fields are his favorite places to find bottles and cans. In fact he filled a 30 gallon trash can in three weeks with cans and bottles he picked up during his morning walks in Deerfield. Maybe, while soccer and other coaches are teaching youth about sportsmenship they should teach them responsibility to pick up after themselves.
You can learn more about Max A Pooch the recycled dog who recycles and the amazing things he does to raise awareness about littering at http://www.maxapooch.com
NB
10:54 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
I think Elizabeth and Keith have a good point. I've noticed a lot of trash on the streets where there is construction and wonder if it's coming from the A.Lamp workers. There's also often a lot of trash in the parks in the early mornings. Some I think is from the teens who hang out there during the evenings but at the end of a busy day, my dog and I see it too and that has to be from the younger kids and their parents who are playing there. On weekend days it's most likely the athletic teams like AYSO and DYBA.
Hat's off to Max A Pooch. My dog's only interested in sticks.
Keith Sanderson
11:34 am on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
You are correct NB. Sometimes the soccer fields in the early morning look like a combo of a rummage sale and dump. One single monring Max and I found one folding chair, the bag it came in, a soccer ball, a childs hoody, 12 water bottles, a couple of cans, and assorted wrappers. .
Maybe the park districk should make the sports leagues pay a fee to help cover picking up after the players, the coaches and the parents. I don't like people throwing garbage on my property, and since I am a taxpayer, those people are throwing garbage on all our property. By the way see what Max A Pooch does with an empty bottle that was discarded, its something a lot of people should learn to do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al5F_F2lSYs
NB
12:00 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
That's too bad. I used to be an AYSO coach and always either policed the line myself after the game or had the players do it. Oh well. Thanks for the link.
Keith Sanderson
1:00 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Max makes appearances in to increase people's awareness of litter and the damage it can do to our pets, wildlife and ecosystem. Maybe the AYSO and other organizations like it should consider retaining Max A Pooch to help remind their staff, coaches, players and parents that if they wouldn't litter their own yards, why do they think they can litter the public places that allow them to play their games and practice?
DZ
10:16 am on Friday, October 28, 2011
If you are really that disgusted with the current status of the cleanliness within our community, you should stop blogging about it and go clean! I have been a Boy Scout for over ten years and am studying Environmental Studies in college. I have learned that the best way to get something done is to do it yourself and have your friends help or make an event out of cleaning our parks. Don’t just sit in your offices and complain.
chuck gates
7:54 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Here in little rock ar, i have seen sidewalks that have maybe, never been cleaned. An some sidewalks i have seen piles of cig butts and glass thats been there for years. I have asked public works many times, still it never gets cleaned.