Discarded stick costs girl lolly

10-05-2006, 16:34

Does the Council Warden deserve some stick for this. Link

Ramrod · 10-05-2006, 17:04

Hmmmm......don't suppose we'll ever really know what happened for real there but I personally find people who litter really annoying. A new phenomena has emerged in the last year or so which I call 'thoughtful littering'

...the litterbug neatly places the piece of litter on a wall or on the ground instead of chucking it down. It seems they think that because they have neatly placed their cr*p somewhere then its not really littering (in their strange little world)

This seems to be what happened in this case.....

**Paul M** · 10-05-2006, 17:05

Another "Jobs Worth". How did he know her name, she must have told him.

10-05-2006, 18:03

Litter is litter, she wont be as forgetfull next time will she.

As for a jobsworth.....they are only doing their job. What would be the point if everyone coujld say...."I forgot" we'd end up knee deep in rubbish.

Paul · 10-05-2006, 18:10

Zero tolerance is zero tolerance. Would you be happy if you sat on a wall for a couple of seconds only to find chewing gum/ lolly sticks/ any other rubbish stuck to your clothes? Littering needs stamping down on as it's getting worse and worse thanks to all the lazy *****s out there who can't be bothered to walk a couple of yards to a bin or even take their cr*p with them to get rid of properly at home etc.

basa · 10-05-2006, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Hmmmm......don't suppose we'll ever really know what happened for real there but I personally find people who litter really annoying. A new phenomena has emerged in the last year or so which I call 'thoughtful littering'

...the litterbug neatly places the piece of litter on a wall or on the ground instead of chucking it down. It seems they think that because they have neatly placed their cr*p somewhere then its not really littering (in their strange little world)

This seems to be what happened in this case.....

Slightly O/T but in a similar vein ... out walking in our local national park we saw some thoughtful dog owner had bagged up their dogs sh*t in a plastic bag and carefully placed the bag on the grass verge !!!

Erm .. the sh*t would've been eminently biodegradable and would have washed away in hours in the rain whereas now the plastic bag will stay there for possibly years !!

Methinks the sh*t had more brain matter than the sh*t bagger.

Ramrod · 10-05-2006, 19:12

Not off topic at all......another case of thoughtful littering. Its as if its not litter if it's been carefully placed there!

10-05-2006, 19:48

I hate litter! I get loads of Coke tins, crisps packets, McPoo, Pizza boxes and KFpewk wrappers either blown or thrown into the front garden which i have to pick up and process manually into assorted tubs/bins that the council require.

Why the frig should i? And also why can't a business that allows take away containers be made to pay extra for the cost of cleanup?

Targetting a 16 year old with a fine is all well and good but why can't Wall's be charged with aiding and abeting?

A rant i know - but i do get easily annoyed by such things

10-05-2006, 19:56

Sorry but as far as i see it and BTW heard it from the mother on the radio today. she admits she littered therefor she should be fined. The mother is complaining because there were no signs saying DO NOT LITTER or you will be fined. Guilty as charged i am afraid.

handyman · 10-05-2006, 19:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shabba

I hate litter! I get loads of Coke tins, crisps packets, McPoo, Pizza boxes and KFpewk wrappers either blown or thrown into the front garden which i have to pick up and process manually into assorted tubs/bins that the council require.

Why the frig should i? And also why can't a business that allows take away containers be made to pay extra for the cost of cleanup?

Targetting a 16 year old with a fine is all well and good but why can't Wall's be charged with aiding and abeting?

A rant i know - but i do get easily annoyed by such things

Almost every single product in a super market is produced in packging that could end up as litter.

Sad that it is that the news carrys such articles but I was brought up not to litter so I would not have done that. She won't drop litter again and neither will her mates....

Scarlett · 10-05-2006, 20:25

Okay fine so the council has managed to fine a 16 year old girl but how did they justify it ?

Quote:

"We have consistently shown that we will take action against individuals who flout the rules.

Fine and what exactly does it mean to flout the rules ?

From the link above Flout (V)
To show contempt for; scorn: flout a law; behavior that flouted convention.
To be scornful.
A contemptuous action or remark; an insult.

Okay so apparently, offering to go back and pick it up was showing contempt.

I'm sure that even with zero tolerence, asking someone to pick up some litter is far more effective than fining them (especially a 16 year old who probably doesn't have that type of money). Sure if they turn around and say no (or some other responses that wouldn't get passed the swear filters) then fine them and well done but there are 2 parts to this and while fining will get the message accross (and raise revenue - funny that isn't it, almost the same as why the police prefer speed camaras over speed warning signs) it will annoy the people who are going to vote for you next election.

I'm sure that the council in question can sleep happy in there beds knowing that rather then persuading the voters to think and not drop litter, they've scared them in to throwing every last pice of litter in the bin just in case one of these inspectors is watching. The dictators of the world would be proud, secret police anyone ?

Don't get me wrong, I hate litter as much as the next man but I hate officials using the 'one size fits all' philosophy. Use your brains!

Mal · 10-05-2006, 20:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlett

I'm sure that even with zero tolerence, asking someone to pick up some litter is far more effective than fining them (especially a 16 year old who probably doesn't have that type of money). Sure if they turn around and say no (or some other responses that wouldn't get passed the swear filters) then fine them and well done but there are 2 parts to this and while fining will get the message accross (and raise revenue - funny that isn't it, almost the same as why the police prefer speed camaras over speed warning signs) it will annoy the people who are going to vote for you next election.

I'm sure that the council in question can sleep happy in there beds knowing that rather then persuading the voters to think and not drop litter, they've scared them in to throwing every last pice of litter in the bin just in case one of these inspectors is watching. The dictators of the world would be proud, secret police anyone ?

Don't get me wrong, I hate litter as much as the next man but I hate officials using the 'one size fits all' philosophy. Use your brains!

I suppose that this proves that they are in a no win situation - crack down and be called dictators or let it slide and be accused of not doing enough to clean up the city.

Thousands of people come and go in Manchester alone each day. Do we want a clean city or do we think it is okay if we only drop one piece of litter a day?

10-05-2006, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarlett

Use your brains!

When you look at the filth strewn street that we have to walk down and have you ever seen the amount of litter around schools, somehow i don't think its the teachers that just drop there rubbish every day.

Come on this is the real world not the world that we all wish it was. People drop litter by the ton each day in our towns and cities and it is about time something was done to put a stop to it. The only way you are going to stop people doing it is if you fine them, Now it does not take a lot of Brains to work that out does it. I think there should be a special fine for those dumping there cancer sticks on the floor as well.

10-05-2006, 20:41

I imagine the litter patrols have targets set for their 'performance' - as I believe traffic wardens, do. The measure of how well they do, is probably down to how many people they catch - not how litter free the area is ...?

**Stuart** · 10-05-2006, 20:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by basa

Slightly O/T but in a similar vein ... out walking in our local national park we saw some thoughtful dog owner had bagged up their dogs sh*t in a plastic bag and carefully placed the bag on the grass verge !!!

Erm .. the sh*t would've been eminently biodegradable and would have washed away in hours in the rain whereas now the plastic bag will stay there for possibly years !!

Methinks the sh*t had more brain matter than the sh*t bagger.

Also off topic, but I was walking the dogs one day. One of them has a habit of doing his business nowhere near a bin, so I bagged it up and was carrying it to the nearest bin (about 1/2 mile away). While I was carrying it, a bloke walked up to me and offered a fiver for it. I dread to think what he thought it was. I didn't sell it.

Regarding the story, well, I don't know the full facts, so I won't judge, but if we don't encourage kids to pick up their litter, we will end up with rubbish everywhere.