Daily Dose of Common Sense

Dog poop is a problem. Rather, dog owners who don’t pick up after their dogs are a problem. In a big city, dog feces litter the sidewalks and public walkways like land mines. Even in smaller towns, homeowners grumble after finding a “present” on their lawn from a random pooch.

Signs hang in various places to remind dog owners: Please Curb Your Dog. Does everyone know what this means, or is this too antiquated an expression for some dog owners? You would assume it’s self-explanatory, but perhaps our signs need to be a little more direct and lose the politeness: Please Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop Before Moving On.

New York City just got tougher on negligent dog owners. In June, the fine for not picking up after your dog will more than double to $250. Of course, you have to be seen by a policeman for this law to be enforced. But, it may prompt some dog owners to be more diligent.

The majority of pet owners are responsible pooper scoopers. However, a few bad apples are all it takes to ruin the sidewalks for the rest of us. The fines for leaving poop behind can’t be high enough.

Why do smokers get a pass on the littering front? Last time I checked, throwing trash where it doesn’t belong was frowned upon. Yet so many butts lie on our sidewalks, streets, and parks that it is the number one type of litter in America. Don’t these folks remember the Crying Indian from the ’70s?

I see it every day. I live in a city and see folks smoking and tossing, smoking and tossing, all day long. Frequently, the cigarette is still burning. Throwing a cigarette butt on the ground is LITTERING. Why, exactly, are our collective streets, sidewalks, and roads your ashtray?

It is estimated that several trillion cigarette butts are littered throughout the world each year. Are they biodegrable? Not really, according to the research we found.

Various sources have stated that cigarette filters take 18 months to 10 years to degrade. It is safe to say that the cellulose acetate fibers in cigarette filters, like other plastics, are with us for some time after they are discarded.

We’re asked not to litter by fast food companies, by drink companies, by the government, and everyone else who mass produces a product. Why aren’t the tobacco companies doing anything to encourage the proper disposal of their product? We’re not sure. It seems like a fairly simple thing to do, and certainly wouldn’t discourage smokers from lighting up. But, people should know NOT to litter without being told. What, were you raised in a barn?

Oh, P.S.: Props to all the businesses that put out cigarette disposal bins on the sidewalk in front of their doors.