Why do people litter ?

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 01:16PM #1

A group of my housemates were having this debate . . .

Why do people litter ? Why do they not simply take their litter home ?

Is it because they don't know any better ? - I don't believe so, perhaps a child under the age of reason, but certainly not an adult

Is it because their parents didn't bring them up right ? - I don't believe so, perhaps they might have been allowed to as children, by adults who didn't care, but I think when they are older and can decide for themselves it's possible to stop ? No ? Lots of people who come from what could be termed troubled areas, or had a bad upbringing don't engage in anti-social behavior, so I don't think it can be used as an excuse.

Do they do it in some mistake belief they are getting at the authorities/government/system ? - If they do, do these public administrators and politicians really care if people mess up their own area and waste their own local taxes ? I doubt if they really do deep down.

Do they do it just for badness ? - Some sort of anti-social kick ?

Litter Bins don't work - They are just filled up dishonestly with household black waste bags instead of litter, cost a fortune to empty and maintain, and are vandal magnets. I rarely see 'litter bins' abroad in more civilized countries, just clean streets, where people just don't drop litter and they take their litter home.

E.g. in Austria and Switzerland, you could literally eat your dinner off the streets in comparison to Ireland, and very little street cleaning is required.

Yes some other countries do have litter problems, and even the litter free countries have their exceptions, but why is that seen an acceptable excuse to for littering and its toleration in Irish society ?

Surely Ireland can match, or at least try to match, the best civilizations at this stage, or are the Irish a lost cause when it comes to soiling their own areas ?

Personally I can't fathom it at all . . . . .

Luckily I don't care anymore if Irish people destroy their own environment. I've gone completely past caring what Irish society does to itself at this stage,

. . . . but I'm just trying to understand the mentality here ?

crazygeryy · 19-06-2013 01:23PM

because it wasn't battered into them when they were young ,that littering is wrong and youll go to hell if you do it!
hail mary full of grace......................

TheLastMohican · 19-06-2013 01:25PM

Ignorance and gravity.

The Backwards Man · 19-06-2013 01:25PM

There arr two types of people in the world

1) Cnuts
2) Lazy cnuts

People who litter are number 2

the groutch · 19-06-2013 01:26PM

why do people set up duplicate accounts to ask stupid questions?

Meangadh · 19-06-2013 01:33PM

Because some people are lazy and expect others to pick up after them. And usually there is someone to pick up after them so they'll never change and continue to litter.

Because so long as it's not in their own area then who cares what mess you leave behind.

Because if it doesn't affect them then they don't care.

One thing I would say though is that Ireland is certainly not the dirtiest place in the world, I'd actually go so far as to say it's pretty clean. I've been to plenty of other countries that could take a leaf out of our books when it comes to Tidy Towns committees and things like that.

Artful_Badger · 19-06-2013 01:35PM

Because the world is full of stupid ignorant assholes.

dutopia · 19-06-2013 01:37PM

OP, you don't need to add a space between the last word of a sentence and a question mark. You also don't need to add spaces between periods.

you could literally eat your dinner off the streets

You could literally eat you dinner off any street, but it wouldn't be very hygienic.

As for your many questions, I think it boils down to ignorance and selfishness. People who litter don't care about keeping the streets clean and they're too selfish to care about how it may affect other people.

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 01:57PM

crazygeryy wrote: »

because it wasn't battered into them when they were young ,that littering is wrong and youll go to hell if you do it!
hail mary full of grace......................

I don't think atheism or religion is a valid excuse for littering . . . .

Meangadh wrote: »

.
One thing I would say though is that Ireland is certainly not the dirtiest place in the world, I'd actually go so far as to say it's pretty clean. I've been to plenty of other countries that could take a leaf out of our books when it comes to Tidy Towns committees and things like that.

I would agree, but I hear this also trotted out and used as a constant excuse as to why the problem cannot be improved in Ireland. . "Ah sure isn't it sorta clean kinda sometimes just after we spend taxpayers money to clean it up"

dutopia wrote: »

OP, you don't need to add a space between the last word of a sentence and a question mark. You also don't need to add spaces between periods.

I don't need to . . . but I can

Why does it bother you ?

seamus · 19-06-2013 02:04PM

Because for the most part people see no consequence to their littering.

It doesn't affect them personally, so they don't care.

We are inherently selfish creatures who seek primarily to only do things which will benefit us or our immediate families. Things which do not benefit us are of no interest.

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 02:05PM

Meangadh wrote: »

Because some people are lazy and expect others to pick up after them. And usually there is someone to pick up after them so they'll never change and continue to litter.

Because so long as it's not in their own area then who cares what mess you leave behind.

Because if it doesn't affect them then they don't care.

Would some sort of psychological counseling help them I wonder ?

Zebra3 · 19-06-2013 02:06PM

Because they are scum.

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 02:09PM

seamus wrote: »

We are inherently selfish creatures who seek primarily to only do things which will benefit us or our immediate families. Things which do not benefit us are of no interest.

But does a cleaner and more pleasant surroundings not benefit them and their immediate families ?

Do they prefer the litter and mess ?

If they do, then I could understand.

I am really trying to hard to comprehend the mentality . . . .

I mean they can't all use the excuse of being some sort of feral human vermin, or "scum", as some people might say.

Artful_Badger · 19-06-2013 02:18PM

Why do people ? wrote: »

Would some sort of psychological counseling help them I wonder ?

Some consequences for their actions would help them.

DublinArnie · 19-06-2013 02:20PM

They're lazy and can't be bothered walking another few minutes to a bin or what not.

af_thefragile · 19-06-2013 02:20PM

Lack of social responsibility primarily as a result of self centerdness.

Artful_Badger · 19-06-2013 02:22PM

Why do people ? wrote: »

But does a cleaner and more pleasant surroundings not benefit them and their immediate families ?

Do they prefer the litter and mess ?

If they do, then I could understand.

I am really trying to hard to comprehend the mentality . . . .

I mean they can't all use the excuse of being some sort of feral human vermin, or "scum", as some people might say.

But they know someone will pick it up, it just wont be them so they couldnt give a shít. They dump their stuff in a convenient way and let others sort it out.

yore · 19-06-2013 02:25PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

There arr two types of people in the world

1) Cnuts
2) Lazy cnuts

People who litter are number 2

Would you put yourself in the former or latter category?

af_thefragile · 19-06-2013 02:25PM

Artful_Badger wrote: »

But they know someone will pick it up, it just wont be them so they couldnt give a shít. They dump their stuff in a convenient way and let others sort it out.

Or they dump it where it doesn't affect their immediate surroundings.
They may themselves live in a spotless clean house and have a habit of throwing their trash out the car window or leaving it in the park where they sat with their mates...

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 02:27PM

Artful_Badger wrote: »

But they know someone will pick it up, it just wont be them so they couldnt give a shít. They dump their stuff in a convenient way and let others sort it out.

But what's convenient about it if spoils you're own area and wastes your local taxes that could be spent on something more productive ?

They must have worked that out, so why continue ?

hatrickpatrick · 19-06-2013 02:27PM

Same reason people piss in public - there aren't nearly enough public toilets and it's massively inconvenient to carry your piss around with you all day if you're not heading home or indoors shortly.

Substitute piss for rubbish and toilets for bins and the same applies.

NIMAN · 19-06-2013 02:28PM

Some people have no manners or breeding.

I often see people standing outside pubs smoking and throwing their butts at their feet, despite there being a metal box on the wall 3ft from them that was put there to collect used fag butts.

Hit the cnuts with a few fines for littering and they will soon learn.

KilOit · 19-06-2013 02:28PM

I throw banana skins and apple cores into bushes and srubs, is this deemed littering?

Nemeses · 19-06-2013 02:30PM

KilOit wrote: »

I throw banana skins and apple cores into bushes and srubs, is this deemed littering?

I wouldn't think so as birds can eat that and it breaks down quickly..

But apparently it is.

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 02:30PM

Also why are successive Irish Governments able to go all nanny state over the social costs of smoking for example, but have no real interest whatsoever in tackling the costs of littering to the economy ?

af_thefragile · 19-06-2013 02:32PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Same reason people piss in public - there aren't nearly enough public toilets and it's massively inconvenient to carry your piss around with you all day if you're not heading home or indoors shortly.

Substitute piss for rubbish and toilets for bins and the same applies.

Lots of rubbish bins in Ireland or at least in Dublin though.
It was a right pain in London where you had to carry all your rubbish in your pockets as there were no bins for miles...

Peeing in Ireland is a different matter though. There are almost no public toilets in the country!

kylith · 19-06-2013 02:34PM

Because they have no respect or pride in themselves, or for other people, or for their environment.

seamus · 19-06-2013 02:34PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Same reason people piss in public - there aren't nearly enough public toilets and it's massively inconvenient to carry your piss around with you all day if you're not heading home or indoors shortly.

Substitute piss for rubbish and toilets for bins and the same applies.

I'd disagree on the basic principle that carrying rubbish isn't inconvenient in the slightest and doesn't hurt, like pee does.

Plus there are actually plenty of bins about, especially in places where one might purchase or consume food. If you go to a local park to have a picnic, you somehow got the food there, so you can carry your rubbish back the same way.

It's scumbaggery, pure and simple.

Peeing in public I don't really have an issue with provided that they at least make an attempt to do it discreetly. I've taken many leak in the bushes myself.

But does a cleaner and more pleasant surroundings not benefit them and their immediate families ?

Do they prefer the litter and mess ?

If they do, then I could understand.

I am really trying to hard to comprehend the mentality . . . .

I mean they can't all use the excuse of being some sort of feral human vermin, or "scum", as some people might say.

They rarely sh1t on their own doorsteps, as the saying goes.

Artful_Badger · 19-06-2013 02:35PM

af_thefragile wrote: »

Or they dump it where it doesn't affect their immediate surroundings.
They may themselves live in a spotless clean house and have a habit of throwing their trash out the car window or leaving it in the park where they sat with their mates...

That could be true too. I've found that people will be able to justify anything they want too, its not hard to shirk responsibility when it comes to public areas and most kids are raised to do exactly that. The council and government will be forever wrong and at fault for the problems caused in society.

I've had a conversation on here about public urination and the amount of people who justified it with themselves was astounding. They go out get drunk and piss in someone's doorway and its the councils fault for not providing them with a toilet.

Same argument can be used for anyone who litters, lets their dog shít on footpaths etc blame the council for not providing bins, blame others for doing it first. Point the finger at anyone and everyone but themselves.

Why do people ? · 19-06-2013 02:35PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Same reason people piss in public - there aren't nearly enough public toilets and it's massively inconvenient to carry your piss around with you all day if you're not heading home or indoors shortly.

Substitute piss for rubbish and toilets for bins and the same applies.

More civilised countries seem to manage fine without any litter bins.

In fact litter bins actually seem to make the problem worse, they quickly get filled with full bags of household rubbish instead of litter, and are always vandalised, and must cost a fortune to empty, maintain and replace, when workers could be doing something far more productive for the community. What a waste. Why on earth can people not just take their litter home ?

Ash.J.Williams · 19-06-2013 02:36PM

i throw fruit waste out the window of the car, is that frowned upon as litter? I'm just giving a little back to mother earth seeing that we are doing a lot of taking from her.

Why do people litter ?

Comments