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09/10/2005 02:23:22 PM · #1 |
 They spelled my name wrong - it is CJSystems no spaces or periods, but I am not complaining. I work for the three largest employers in the area so most people around here know who it is.
What a dirty world we live in and people make it that way. Last year I was on the mountain behind my house, Taconic Crest (the western most ridge of the Berkshires) on Route 2 - the main road into Williamstown from New York State. There are 5 parking areas on the road and from one of them there is the only place that you can see the town when driving. I stopped here to take a picture and was appalled at the amount of garbage I saw thrown down the slope (on either side of the road the slope downward is fairly steep and is right there - no flat land at all). So I decided to contact the Mass Highway Department to see if I could adopt that 2 mile stretch of road. In Mass we have the Adopt-A-Highway program where you can volunteer to clean the roadside of trash and litter. You get a sign with your group name on it at the beginning and end of your adopted stretch. Well since I was a group of one they were initially not going to let me. But I talked them into it after showing them some pics of the garbage on the hill. You can see pics of the garbage I picked up here - you might be shocked! In the end it was 245 bags of garbage, hundreds of tires, couches, and everything else you can think of. Including an entire kitchen as if someone literally gutted their kitchen and dumped everything, including silverware, over the edge.
So anyway, back to my original train of thought, categories of people. Since my name is on the sign, I want the road to be clean so every weekend during the spring/summer/fall as long as the weather is not terrible and I am home, I walk the two mile stretch and pick up the trash. I have come to realize that there are certain types/groups of people that contribute significantly more garbage/litter than any others. In order, worst offenders first are:
1. People who eat at McDonalds
2. People who drink Budwieser varieties of beer
3. People who smoke Marlboro varieties of cigarettes
4. People who drink Dunkin Donuts coffee
5. People who buy scratch off lottery tickets
My walk of the mountain today after only one week produced two full yellow bags of trash which were 99% contributed by these groups as it is every week.
Since I cleaned out the areas the State put up fences on all the parking areas to prevent the mass dumping that had been going on for years.
Message edited by author 2005-09-11 00:49:25. |
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09/10/2005 02:33:44 PM · #2 |
OOOoooooo....that makes me SO mad! Thanks for doing your part there, even though it's not your trash. I did the same thing at a fireworks display last week. We went up to a beautiful scenic overlook of the city...and right in front of us was a can overflowing with garbage on the ground.
The rangers came by several times, and no one bothered with the can. Finally, I asked one for a garbage bag and I emptied the can and picked up the ground trash. Sheesh.
We used to live on a corner lot right down the street from a convenience store. At least once a week I'd have a broken bottle of beer or soda on my sidewalk (where my 4 yr old would play!)
I finally started leaving my camera by the door. I could hear the glass break and when I did, I would run out, take a photo of the person from my porch and yell at them. "Please pick up the glass you broke or if my daughter gets cut I will turn this photo over to the police."
Funny thing was, most of the people weren't nasty about it. They would just say "Oh, I'm really sorry - I wasn't thinking." That almost scares me more that it's just a mindless habit.
*down from my soapbox*
Thanks again for doing that cleaning. I think we need to find slippy and give you a special award. :o) |
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09/10/2005 02:35:44 PM · #3 |
Geesh, man, you hauled all those tires up on your own? I hereby move we change your nickname to "tire-boy" :-) Seriously, I'm impressed.
Your categories list is interesting. I'd add, for what it's worth, that categories 1-3 shreik "young people" to me; they eat, drink, smoke and otherwise consume the most heavily-promoted mainstream products, in my experience.
In any case, my cap's off to you as a concerned citizen doing your small bit for the common weal.
Robt.
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09/10/2005 02:36:37 PM · #4 |
That is awesome they put a fence around!!! Maybe they could put a sign up "No Dumping" sign with a $ fine amount. You're right in how filthy people are....that's why my car looks the way it does (very scary on the inside!) because I refuse to litter and have taught my children the same. Littering is a major pet peeve for me....
Great job on the clean up and setting an excellent example! :)
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09/10/2005 02:46:56 PM · #5 |
To Bear yes, I hauled everything up on my own. I had no help. On area 5, I forget which day, you can see some fairly large tires. They were the farthest from the road, about 125 yards or so - straight downhill and that is the steepest area since it is closest to the top. I was totally exhausted after each one and it took about an hour to get each one up the hill and over the railing.
To jpochard Thanks for doing your part! I hate it when I see trash like that overflowing and people who should/could do something about it just walk on by.
To colyla Yes, they put fences up at each parking area. There are signs there, very big and clear - NO DUMPING! $200 - $500 fine - and always have been. Now they hang on the fence.
I can't tell you how many times during the clean-up that Environmental Police stopped by to ask what I was doing and to check on hazardous material which there was a lot of (waste oil, paint cans and paint thinner, batteries, etc.) The police were called a few times when people thought I was doing the dumping and not the cleaning.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 22:16:28. |
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09/10/2005 02:52:30 PM · #6 |
Geez, was there a tire factory nearby ? Unbeleivable. Kudo's to you.
I'm glad though that people are actually calling the police, and that they actually respond. |
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09/10/2005 02:56:35 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by BlackDot:
Geez, was there a tire factory nearby ? Unbeleivable. Kudo's to you.
I'm glad though that people are actually calling the police, and that they actually respond. |
Tires are considered "environmentally hazardous" now, and if you dispose of them responsibly you are charged a per-tire disposal fee. So assholes dump them straight back into the environment, how's that for good news?
Robt.
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09/10/2005 03:03:41 PM · #8 |
Here the newspaper salesmen burn them on the streetcorners for the heat that's in it, and youre lucky if the police show up if you call them for armed robbery.
Quite the contrast. |
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09/10/2005 03:25:32 PM · #9 |
Since the fences have been put up there have been a few times that people have thrown stuff over the fences so in order to clean that up I have to walk around the fence to the back. Instead of carrying the stuff all the way back around with me, I throw it over and get it when I get back. Earlier this spring I had a guy stop and start yelling at me for dumping trash. I started laughing and asked him "If I was dumping trash wouldn't it make more sense if I was throwing it over the fence off the road instead of over the fence onto the road?" He scratched his head, got back in his car and about 10 minutes later the local cops showed up.
About three weeks ago A state cop cruised by when I was throwing some golf clubs over the fence. I only knew the clubs were there because the bag got caught in a tree. I didn't know he was there - I couldn't see him because of the steep slope. I hit his car and he was pissed and ready to write me up until I explained what I was doing. He made me prove I was the CJ in CJSystems - followed me home to see the contract I signed with the state since my license wasn't good enough.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 15:27:45. |
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09/10/2005 03:31:01 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by BlackDot:
Geez, was there a tire factory nearby ? Unbeleivable. Kudo's to you.
I'm glad though that people are actually calling the police, and that they actually respond. |
No, actually they were dumped by a local tire dealer. I knew that since the three really large ones had markings on them from the place. Naturally I reported it to the cops. They were fined thousands of dollars - 500.00 for each tire. They used my pics in court.
Every time I found stuff that clearly identified a person, I turned it in to the police. A lot of people were taken to court and fined. You would be surprised that even when dumping trash illegallly people will throw stuff with their name on it - like mail. |
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09/10/2005 03:32:04 PM · #11 |
Never mind...it is now showing the image in the first post.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 15:57:50. |
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09/10/2005 04:04:14 PM · #12 |
That sounds great - I wish they had schemes like that in this country. Since they introduced bin/garbage collection charges dumping in countryside areas has become an even bigger problem.
I'm curious; what do you do with all the bags you collect? - Here we have to pay for a visit to the local dump.
We have one other main category here;
1) People who steal cars, crash them, and set them on fire... |
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09/10/2005 04:33:56 PM · #13 |
Since Williamstown calls itself "The Village Beautiful" (No kidding, it is on the sign on main street) we call it a Transfer Station. You need a permit which costs 75.00 a year PLUS you have to put your garbage in special bags that cost 2.00 each.
However, if you looked at the pics you see the yellow bags of trash. You can only get the yellow bags from the state and only if you participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program. If you tell them when you go to pick up trash you can leave them on the roadside and the state will pick them up. For me though, the local garage for the highway dept. has a dumpster I can put them in and it is only about 4 miles from my house. Only yellow bags can go in there and it is monitored via video cam. They do bust people who dump regular trash in it. |
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09/10/2005 04:39:15 PM · #14 |
Kudos to you for your project. I have never taken on such an undertaking, though I do frequently return from walks on the beach with a bag full of garbage. I say two or three cusswords for each piece I pick up; and if the people are still around I make a point to demonstrate what I'm doing.
Your story reminds me of a lady in Jacksonville, FL who did the very same thing. She found that once she kept the area clean, people were much less likely to litter. More importantly, she often finds discarded money. Once she picked up a cigarette pack that was packed full of cash. (Drug money, I'm guessing). So keep an eye out, you might be inadvertently compensated. |
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09/10/2005 04:40:07 PM · #15 |
I bet it'd be easier to group them into one group: 1) People who don't care about the environment. :\
I had no idea that a 2 mile stretch actually had THAT much trash - I would've presumed it would be much less. Guess I'll stop throwing my food wrappers out the window when I get pissed that I didn't win my scratch lottery ticket.
;) jk, of course.
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09/10/2005 04:49:42 PM · #16 |
| I think it gets so much trash 1) Since it is a main road into/out of the area so it is heavily used 2) There is nothing on the road as in houses or whatever and it goes over the mountain so it is winding and such so you cannot be seen tossing trash 3) You are right, people don't give a damn 4) People coming in don't want the empty beer cans and such in their cars when they drive into town 5) There is a McDogshi*s in North Adams (next town over) and if you stop there and get food on your way out of the area, by the time you get to this road you are done eating. |
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09/10/2005 04:53:40 PM · #17 |
In the area we live in (northwest Oregon) there are, unfortunately, a lot of ‘po white trash’ looser types that dump all of their trash along the roads. The ones that live up the hill from us must eat dinner from McDonalds and KFC a lot because much of the trash on our road is from those places. Lots of beer cans too, so naturally they’re also drinking and driving. We’ve driven by their homes a few times, just to see how they live, and many are about what you might expect; a rundown trailer that looks like they salvaged it from the dump, with 3 or 4 junk vehicles in the yard, and piles and piles of trash everywhere. I guess they figure if it’s okay for them, then it’s okay for everybody else too. And it’s really strange to see one of these places, and then just down the road see a very nice, large, expensive, executive style home with immaculately groomed grounds. We really do have all kinds of neighbors around here. A multimillion dollar ranch on 20 acres of beautiful forest and pasture, right next to a pile of junk trailer on 20 acres of land covered with trash.
Another problem around here is the fact that there are no trash hauling services available here like you have in most towns and cities. So, people either haul their trash to the dump themselves, or they burn it. Many of the ones that haul their trash to the dump do so very sloppily. They just pile it into a utility trailer and take off down the road with nothing to cover it and keep it from flying out as they’re driving. So it ends up getting thoroughly scattered all over the roads and highway. Yeah, they’re real f’ing geniuses.
The high cost of taking refuse to the local dump also encourages many of these idiots to dump their trash wherever they think they can do it without getting caught. Just about any turnout on most roads you can find piles of garbage left there by these morons. It’s really sad.
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09/10/2005 07:35:07 PM · #18 |
| See..now if it was me and my neighbors were dumping trash along the road, I would pick it up and leave it on their yard. Or better yet, if their car was unlocked, put it on their front seat while they were sleeping or something. |
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09/10/2005 07:44:09 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by bear_music:
I'd add, for what it's worth, that categories 1-3 shreik "young people" to me; they eat, drink, smoke and otherwise consume the most heavily-promoted mainstream products, in my experience. |
Thanks for the same old, bog-standard, usual, stereotypical generalization of an "old person". I know more old people that smoke than young people who do, and I know more old people that drink bud than young people. Any everyone eats at McDonalds.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 20:24:35.
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09/10/2005 07:57:56 PM · #20 |
I am happy and proud to say that I have not had any McDonalds food since 1972 (or any other fast food for that matter - the stuff is deadly!).
He may have a point on the young people though. I had more trash on the road today than a week ago by more than double (last week about 3/4 bag, this week 2 full bags). The difference? Williams college students came back last weekend.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 19:58:53. |
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09/10/2005 09:01:09 PM · #21 |
| Perhaps you could put up a sign saying "XoX people have been fined a total of $^~^ for littering on this road since last Friday" with the numbers being changeable. |
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09/10/2005 09:14:52 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Konador:
Any everyone eats at McDonalds. |
NOT ME! And if you would like to know why, PM me, and I'll tell a story to make your stomach turn. |
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09/10/2005 09:20:30 PM · #23 |
I rarely enter a McDonalds either. Last time was when my dad wanted to go for breakfast there. Previous time I can't remember. It was years ago and probably for a 49 cent icecream.
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09/10/2005 09:24:20 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by Konador:
Originally posted by bear_music:
I'd add, for what it's worth, that categories 1-3 shreik "young people" to me; they eat, drink, smoke and otherwise consume the most heavily-promoted mainstream products, in my experience. |
Thanks for the same old, bog-standard, usual, stereotypical generalization of an "old person". I know more old people that smoke than young people who do, and I know more old people that drink bud than young people. Any everyone eats at McDonalds. |
Hey, Ben... Think about it... I've lived through two teenagers of my own, and I have seen what they and their friends ate, drank, and smoked. Yup; Mickey D's, Bud, and Marlboros. When the predominance of the trash is those brands, I start thinking "Kids have been hanging out here!" After all, Alienyst's "spot" is an overlook, a pullout where you can get off the road. Who hangs out in places like that? Why, people who don't have a place of their own, that's who. It's more-or-less universal, at least in this country; there are always a few places in every area where the kids go after dark to drink and smoke and hang out with each other. When they grow a little older they get their own apartments and then the messes are better contained.
I'm not getting down on kids in general, and I'm sorry you think I am. I was just streamlining the categories a little :-)
Robt.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 21:25:18.
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09/10/2005 09:27:36 PM · #25 |
Did you miss my explanation in support?
He may have a point on the young people though. I had more trash on the road today than a week ago by more than double (last week about 3/4 bag, this week 2 full bags). The difference? Williams college students came back last weekend.
Message edited by author 2005-09-10 21:27:56. |
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