People litter but they litter a whole lot more where litter is tolerated, where it appears no one is caring for public spaces.
All of the education, public service spots, community jaw boning and “should” talk won’t curb the tendency to litter or be careless unless…local and state agencies demonstrate a relentless commitment to well kept medians and right-aways and a zero tolerance for littering.
It is human nature. People are automatically more careful and sensitive when they enter an area that is very clean and well maintained, whether at work, in a home or on the street.
But if people enter an area that isn’t well cared for, it is a fact that they are less careful. If people drive down a street where litter is obviously tolerated, they’re more likely to litter. If medians and right of ways are shaggy and seedy, they are more likely to become driven over, rutted and littered.
So we can sit back and tell people how they should behave. Or local and state governments can set a compelling example with zero tolerance for litter, ordinance and code enforcement, green, well kept medians and right of ways and otherwise demonstrating as much care for public space as we all want people to treat it.
There will be a few that try to trash it but they will be much easier to spot…and for the majority, they will automatically become more sensitive and concerned.
If our local and state agencies lead out and treat the community as though it were for sale…the curb appeal will be contagious.
4 comments:
Yes Reyn, I too find fighting litter in Durham very frustrating. At my Weichert Realtors office on University Drive, I spend the first ten minutes or so of my day picking up litter. I'm convinced that clean, well-kept areas do little to deter littering. My company has adopted a section of Umstead Road in North Durham as part of the adopt-a-highway program. We've actually had people throw trash at us when we were out cleaning up our adopted section of road! Even though these areas are cleaned often, I find fresh litter appears almost overnight. At my office, mainly I pick up handfuls of shredded lottery tickets (thanks Mike Easley!) and way too many beer bottles and cans. You're right that it takes a commitment from government to fight litter. Unfortunately, I don't see that commitment here in Durham. In fact, the Durham Police Department tells me they don't have the manpower to fight the problem. I get the same tired 'we can't really do anything about this' in response to my pleas for stricter enforcement of the law. North Carolina is such a beautiful state. It's a shame that so many people choose to trash it.
Mark Thomas
President
Weichert Realtors Mark Thomas Properties
Durham
919-730-7067
This is Durham we're talking about, right?
Don't hold your breath waiting for our elected officials to make something like this a priority. That's for volunteers.
@Barry:
I do think it's reasonable to expect elected officials and law enforcement to do their job. I WILL hold my breath for that, though change will likely mean that we toss out this current group of elected leaders who don't seem to care. I will also continue to volunteer and do my part.
Local government needs to take a look at priorities. At a time of lower tax revenues and tough economic times Durham government needs better focus- with more attention to delivering high-quality basic services (public safety, fire, adequate transportation, trash pickup/solid waste management, water/sewer infrastructure,etc.)
Mark Thomas
President
Weichert Realtors Mark Thomas Properties
Durham
919-730-7067
Good luck with that.
We've got an open invite to our Council to come out for Creek Week cleanup tomorrow at the Beaver Marsh behind Compare Foods.
If anyone other than Woodard shows up i'll eat my (beaver felt) hat.
Dorothea Pierce, with her basement office and staff of one, gets more done coordinating volunteers than most departments do with 20 times her budget.
but as my wife said once, i've never lived in a city where picking up other people's trash was such a regular part of my social life.
And don't get me started on speeding.
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