Report a litterer (fit in, apartment complex, neighborhood)

[doss1]

aj007, I think the letter makes it a little personal and says something like "recently someone saw you litter on DATE X near X". If I remember correctly, the person who reports the litterer needs to fill out as much info about the incident, so the letter personalizes it a little bit. It takes a bit of time to fill out the fields, so it's not like the average joe is going to take his time filling out these things and harass innocent people with it. But, maybe things have changed. Like I said, I did this a couple of years ago.

A better idea would be to create a public website (funded by TxDot) where people can upload photos of the litterer in the act of littering...or right after he/she litters (Everyone has a camera phone these days.). Same as the way we expose sexual predators. I know some of us lump them in the same group

[Snowglobe]

From the Don't Mess With Texas site FAQ:
"How do you account for cost savings of the campaign?
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bases cost savings on an estimate of litter-pickup costs per acre issued by the Federal Highway Administration. We adjust this estimate for annual cost of living increases and compare to our actual litter control expenditures. Texas is huge and TxDOT maintains some 1,100,000 acres — more than any other state department of transportation. As you can imagine, whenever we cut our per-acre costs, it makes quite an impact. For example, in 2000, we saved more than $8 million in litter-pickup costs."

Somebody has to pick it up. It is arrogance on the part of the litterer to think that someone else should have to clean up after them. The litterers should have more pride in their community.

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by Snowglobe

From the Don't Mess With Texas site FAQ:
"How do you account for cost savings of the campaign?
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bases cost savings on an estimate of litter-pickup costs per acre issued by the Federal Highway Administration. We adjust this estimate for annual cost of living increases and compare to our actual litter control expenditures. Texas is huge and TxDOT maintains some 1,100,000 acres — more than any other state department of transportation. As you can imagine, whenever we cut our per-acre costs, it makes quite an impact. For example, in 2000, we saved more than $8 million in litter-pickup costs."

Somebody has to pick it up. It is arrogance on the part of the litterer to think that someone else should have to clean up after them. The litterers should have more pride in their community.

If only!!

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Snowglobe

Somebody has to pick it up. It is arrogance on the part of the litterer to think that someone else should have to clean up after them. The litterers should have more pride in their community.

Also arrogance on the part of the person who leaves shopping carts all over the parking lot. Not as bad as littering, but damaging to cars and particularly frustrating.

Or the person who takes up two parking spaces in a limited space lot because they don't want anyone parking too close to them.

[doss1]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Or the person who takes up two parking spaces in a limited space lot because they don't want anyone parking too close to them.

I thought it was cuz they were bad at parking or too selfish to park correctly. Man, if it's the way you said...then there's no hope for civilization as a whole.

[Camper1]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Also arrogance on the part of the person who leaves shopping carts all over the parking lot. Not as bad as littering, but damaging to cars and particularly frustrating.

Or the person who takes up two parking spaces in a limited space lot because they don't want anyone parking too close to them.

[SnappyBob]

They should change the website to let you report anyone you see on the road doing stupid things. Talking on cell phones, texting, aggressive driving, the shopping cart thing. If you can attach a license plate number or an address they can send out a letter. We could send out letters to all kinds of people for all kinds of things, fireworks, water wasters, unkempt front yards, stinky Bar BQ, loud parties, barking dogs, loud cars, kinky underwear on the clothes line. For all those every day annoyances you can annoy them right back with letters of complaint. I think I even see opportunities for a start up company to do this service.

[aj007]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

I think the state hopes that this will raise awareness. I think that many people who litter don't even think of it as littering - like the people who throw their butts out the window. They, like you, think it's ok because "everyone does it".

I do not think the program is a waste of money. You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to mine. I think it's a good program that will raise awareness about littering.

I don't think its ok, I simply stated that many people today see it so much that it does not look bad. Its the repeating the act that makes it look ok but I understand it isnt. All I am saying is that the form isnt hard to fill out, all a bored individual needs is a plate # and the rest of the info is easily made up.

[buffy888]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Or the person who takes up two parking spaces in a limited space lot because they don't want anyone parking too close to them.

This is because they are more important than the rest of us. Those white or yellow lines clearly painted (or the painted words "compact only" in places like the Quarry where SUVs will park in the spots instead)? Nope, those don't apply to certain people. This drives me absolutely batty, especially if we go somewhere that has limited parking anyway.

I like the idea of the reporting system, but I do wonder if there are some doofuses out there that will either report someone as a joke or report someone they don't like just to annoy them even if they didn't litter. It would have to be a pretty sad type of person to do that in the first place, but I can see it happening.

My after-school duty last year was in the area where parents picked up their kids by car. There were a few times when the parent would either toss trash out the window while waiting or trash would fall (get pushed) out the door when the kid opened it to get in, then floor it when driving off so no one could say anything to them about it. So nice of the parents to do this in front of teachers and (sometimes) administrators.

[LindaGrace]

I would've tossed that trash right back at the car - in the open door or window, if possible.