Is Littering a Crime?

[geizr]

It is a legal crime(albeit, a very minor one; as someone said, a misdemeanor), but it is not morally wrong, just sloppy and lazy. However, even though it is not morally wrong, littering does present some deleterious consequences regarding safety and sanitation, which can adversely affect others. It is because of these potential adverse effects on others that litter is regarded as a crime; essentially, it affects the overall domestic tranquility.

Not all things are crimes for reasons of morality. Sometimes, certain actions can be crimes because they inhibit or have a negative impact on the overall social stability and prosperity.

My own opinion is that you should always clean up your mess. If there is not an appropriate trash receptacle nearby, just hold onto the trash until you can find an appropriate receptacle in which to dispose of the trash. Do not spit, urinate or defecate on sidewalks or other areas of public access; instead, find appropriate lavatory facilities(I've seen you guy urinate outside a CVS and got into serious trouble, and I was at a court hearing in which another person had been arrested for defecating in public). Clean up the feces from your pets and dispose of it in an appropriate receptacle. These are just basic rules of cleanliness and sanitation that prevent the spread of disease and parasites and reduce infestation of pests(such as rats and roaches) in residential and public access areas.

An old friend and I had a rule when we were kids and visited over each other's house, "you mess up; you clean up". This kept everyone honest from making big messes cause neither of us wanted to be the one to have to clean. I've personally carried this rule into adulthood, and it governs my behavior even today regarding how I try to keep my environment around me. This is not to say that I won't clean-up messes that have obviously been caused by others(I value a clean environment over strict rule-enforcement), but I definitely get very irritated at having to clean-up a mess caused by some sorry-arsed, lazy bum who was too pathetic to simply pick-up after him/herself.

 

[geizr]

Yes its illegal, yes its really annoying. Especially those smokers who toss butts that don't properly biodegrade and kill wildlife.

Oh, yes! On the subject of cigarettes. This is probably the greatest annoyance at people who toss the butts from their cars. There is an ash-tray in the car for a reason, people!

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

People seem to forget that these wonderful things called pockets and bins exist. Pockets, so that if you're out and about you just put your rubbish into them; and bins so that you put your rubbish into one when you either see one in the street, or at home.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Some people are just so damn lazy about it...

When I worked at Arbys, we had a guy come in one night about 5 minutes before we closed. I already had the back line packed up, but as we technically didn't close for 5 more minutes, was obligated to make his food. He was pissed that he couldn't eat inside, and apparently decided to eat outside in the parking lot in his car to spite us.

When he was done eating, he walked up to the door to come back inside and use the trashcan. The door was locked and I was mopping up. I ignored his bangs on the door and kept cleaning. So what did the lazy bastard do? He rolled up his trash bag and left it by the door. His car was parked right next to the dumpster, and if he didn't want to do that, he could have just taken his trash home. But noo...Because he couldn't come back in, he was just going to leave his trash in the middle of the doorway. I opened the door and called to him to come get his trash...He decided to get rude with me about it. The other manager on duty ended up telling him not to come back.

lazy people piss me off.

 

[FuktLogik]

Yes. I've seen people driving along the highway, and the first chance they get when they think no one is watching, they'll throw entire garbage bags onto the side of the road. Or people who dump entire pickups worth on logging roads. I know why they do it. Garbage pickup can be insanely expensive up here, but that doesn't stop them from being total cock suckers.

These are the same kind of pricks who poach deer, then cut off the head for a mount, then take the tenderloins and leave the rest of the meat rotting in the nearest turnout.

 

[Zanakanishi]

Not at all, if someone litters so what, it does not harm me in any way, a bottle on the floor? I would just walk past and not notice, obviously it's bad if EVERYONE does it frequently, but even then people will clean it up, so no harm done, just gives people a job in my opinnion, so in tecnicality it's a good thing.. because the more litter there is the more people have jobs, in fact.. from now on I refuse to use bins in public so I can help some people out in the longterm.

 

[Susan Arendt]

It's rude and thoughtless, and utterly preventable. People do it not out of necessity, but out of laziness and carelessness. There's no excuse for it.

 

[Kagim]

Yes, especially when i watch people drop shit a foot or two from a trash can. While waiting for a bus home from work some lady started pouring her pop out on the street and then threw it, not on the sidewalk or street, but onto a persons yard. She was six, literally SIX (1,2,3,4,5,6) steps away from a trash can when she did this.

While i realize it is juvenile on several occasions it has pissed me off bad enough that i have followed people home and tossed what they drop onto there doorstop or thrown crap in their yard. They always get angry and threaten to call the cops until i remind them that technically i was just returning there property and they are the ones who were littering.(This isn't exactly true, but the people are pretty stupid) Which can carry a six hundred dollar fine where i live.

 

[MrJKapowey]

Yes, yes I do

I am reminded of the time I saw someone about my age (17-19) drop their candy wraper on the ground.

I shouted "STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM! NO ONE BREAKS THE LAW ON MY WATCH". People turned and looked at him. He sheepishly picked up the wraper, and then darted off. It was a good day.

You sir...

You win the 'Most Appropriate Application of a Video Game Quote in Real Life' award. Though admittedly I just made it up now because I saw that - but good show none the less!

OT: I just generally 'tsk' at them, or say something in a far-out hippy voice to annoy them until they pick it up.

 

[2012 Wont Happen]

If you litter in a park or area where nature is still around, it is bad. However, the roads and structures we've build are just as much litter as the plastic bottle I toss on the ground when I'm done with it. In a city its only a cosmetic issue.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I think I agree with the vast majority of people here...

And now, I'm wondering about flytipping... seeing as how it usually costs quite a fair whack to dispose of construction waste, but it is neither pretty, beneficial, nor environmentally friendly etc.

 

[frizzlebyte]

I'd say yes. Not the absolute worst of offenses, but still, I think it is good to be made a crime. We should all know by now that the trash can is where litter goes, so really there is no excuse for just chucking your crap wherever you want.

For you British Escapists: is it true that if you litter in London, the Police have speakers on the cameras so they can yell at you and tell you to pick your litter up, without ever even needing to be in the area?

I've always heard that is true, so I'm just curious.

 

[janerowdy]

Morally speaking, no. Not to me anyway.

 

[Link Kadeshi]

Even if you think it's stupid to care about dropping trash on the ground, I've been one of those people who had to go clean up the rubbish you irritating fools *Blood Vessel showing* decided would make the ground look better. I've seen people just let go of receipts and wrappers in the wind without a care. I've found dirty diapers on not only bathroom floors, but in parking lots! Littering is EVIL! How would you like someone littering in your house, and on your lawn (Assuming you have one)? Wait... Hold on... Sorry, brain aneurysm, I should probably lay down and relax.

 

[interspark]

No, its misdemeanor. Legally speaking.

another thing that irritates me, people who read the title of a thread but hardly or just plain don't read the first post before answering, i mean seriously!

 

[Zakarath]

It really gets on my nerves. Just another example of how most people don't give a damn about the world the live on.

 

[Lex Mark]

i know it is legally speaking but i'm asking if you think it's a moral crime, does it reeeeeally grind your gears and get on your nerves?

i never really thought about it much but earlier i saw this guy just casually drop his coke bottle and i just thought "oh that lazy deuche!"

edit: ah dammit, i made a poll! there was supposed to be a poll!

Sean , I would tell him he had dropped something in a helpful tone of voice.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Hmm...Unless it's major littering, or you're dropping glass bottles in the park or something it's not a crime, IMO.

But it DOES make you a bit of a douche.

 

[Jazoni89]

It depends really. Fly tipping is obviously a crime (which i have a tremendous amount of hatred for people who do that), but i don't consider putting something like a cigarette butt or a piece of gum on the ground a crime, because it's a more convenient, and practical way of disposing of them. If councils want to reduce their litter, they should provide more bins so people are more determined to use them. Rather than having one bin per hundred yards or so.