Responding to Trash-Tossing in Maine: An Open Letter
We need to talk, Maine.
I witnessed something recently that blew my mind. I thought it was something that had gone the way of the past, especially here in Maine. It's something so egregious that it made me lose a bit of faith in humanity.
This incident occurred while I was driving on Route 202 near Gorham and Buxton. There was a truck in front of me; nothing out of the ordinary. And then, out of nowhere, the dude (or dudette) stuck their arm out the window and proceeded to toss a small bag of trash out the window.
This bag didn't accidentally fly out of the car. It was intentionally thrown. This person (I assume of sound mind) consciously littered.
Admittedly, I was a little shocked. It's not every day (or year) that you witness such a brazen act. However, here I was, dumbfounded by the ignorance and recklessness of this individual.
First off, who on Earth still litters? How many PSAs, school lectures, Earth Days, and police talks have to happen before people get it through their thick and seemingly empty skulls that throwing your trash outside is not ideal? In fact, there is literally no upside.
This isn't genius-level stuff here. It's common sense.
Let's break down how incredibly ignorant and ridiculous it is to toss trash wherever you want.
1. You are polluting the planet. Congrats on helping end humanity.
2. You are throwing litter on someone's property. Way to respect your fellow neighbors.
3. You are disrespecting our great state. Maine is one of the cleanest states in the country. Is this something you are against?
4. You are breaking the law. Yes, it is illegal to throw your trash wherever you feel like it (not that you care).
5. You are trying to turn the clock back 50 years. This isn't the 1970s. We don't need roads that are completely ruined by trash.
The worst part about all of this is how incredibly easy to is to, you know, throw trash away properly. There's trash pickup or a dump in every town. Gas stations and stores provide trash cans. Places of employment? You bet there's trash bins there, too. And parks, beaches, and other outdoor areas? You guessed it. They have trash cans.
There is absolutely no excuse to ever throw trash on the ground. I don't care how lazy or ignorant you may be. It's time to wake up and live in reality. It's time to respect your fellow man and this amazing state we live in.
Maine is incredible. Stop trying to ruin it with your selfish and disgusting acts.
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