LITTERBUGS!

“Especially in TN's Cumberland Plateau area.

I was stunned & saddened Saturday at the amount and types of trash left dumped roadside and in the woods. We had gone to Dayton TN
to Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness.
Old washing machines and other appliances, sofas, old tables, cabinets, piles of household garbage right there heading into the Pocket Wilderness. Lying roadside and in the forest. Pocket Wilderness Sign shot all to He11. More beer cans piled on a rock middle of the creek on the hike. More graffiti than you can shake a stick at painted on the bluffs, boulders, rocks. It was appalling.

I have noticed this general region of TN seems to have a terrible problem. What is the matter with these folks? Do the areas mean nothing to them? I have noticed it also off the beaten track in the far southeast corner of TN near Coker Creek.
Has anyone got any idea why the disregard for the areas they live in”

“I am a big-time litterbug hater. Even the peeps who throw cigarette butts out the window piss me off.

Sorry to hear there is such a problem in TN. Someone this past weekend was talking about that, too, specifically in reference to TN. Sad.”

“LITTERBUGS SUCK!”

“Our campsite along North River west of Staunton was pretty well trashed as well, although not to that degree. Toilet paper everywhere, trash and broken bottles in the fire ring, and the carcass of a deer lying where poachers had field dressed it. There were beer cans and bottles all along the roads, including up to Reddish Knob, with more beer bottles and cans and shotgun shells around the parking lot at the top.

It's epidemic.”

“Maybe they're taking their cue from the Bush Administration. It's okay to trash the national forests, because we're gonna cut them down and do mountaintop removal anyway.”

“BUSH SUCKS!”

“LOL lq”

“Laqtis, you need to understand how the Healthy Forests Initiative works.

First you cut down the trees so they won't get diseased. Then you level the mountains so there will be no place for diseased trees to grow. Then you have a place for people to throw their trash so the landfills do not get filled up so fast.

See? You get the best of all worlds!”

“For you old timers in Tennessee, do you remember the "Tennessee Trash" commercials that ran in the early 80's?

The State ran ads repetitively addressing the litter/trash issue.

From what I remember, it had a positive effect on reducing roadside garbage dumping. It is a shame we have to remind people not to do it.”

“MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL SUCKS!”

“I thought about that both yesterday and today. There should be some way to hold these gross persons accountable for what they are doing. I did not see one single person Sat. on our hike who I felt was the type responsible. Nice families with little kids. Single guy out for a stroll. Another couple with their dog. Few college kids camping under the bluffs. I'd bet its more the townies who come to party. Some of the graffiti was so high up whoever did it had to rappel to paint it. I cannot see any backpacker lugging the used washer out with them to dispose of in the woods. LOL
I won't even toss a gum wrapper. It can ride to the trash can in my pocket. I will take several trash bags and some gloves with me next time. What bothers me too is wondering if inadequate solid waste disposal facilities is part of the reason this happens? Not everywhere, but in the Plateau.”

“Living in CA people tossing their butts out the window is a very common sight. What do you think would happen if I picked up said butt and tossed it right back into their car? I have been really tempted to do this many times.”

“Lack of LNT is a part of the problem, IMHO. Some just don't know that they have to carry that stuff out. They chuck it and forget about it. Bad habits, also? Better education of garbage effects on nature would be a start. Maybe more/updated displays at trailheads?



Here in Michigan, one way the state park system is cutting back on is the garbage bins and there removal of waste. They've ve made a good 10-12 day parks "pack it in, pack it out it". We'll see how it goes.”

“I remember some time ago, driving over to Detroit to visit a friend. On the way, a family pulled along side me and I witnessed the father, who was driving, threw a glass bottle out the window. He didn't even try to throw it out of the way of the traffic behind him. The bottle actually hit a car behind them.

Littering will always be a problem, no fine for it will make it go away. Lock people up for a week in prision who get caught.”

“And another thing. while I'm on my rant. ;-)

I am becoming ever increasingly a left wing liberal.
I'm not much on politics, but I see a HUGE difference between the last administration environmentally vs. the current one. Never thought I'd see the day, but here I am.

I'm calling Greenpeace on them littering sumbeaches.”

“Rural areas will always have the problem of large item disposal. It cost money to throw out the couch that went from living room, to the front porch. Most of these rural families don't have the money or the mindset to "waste" money on taking it to a landfill. Gullies, ravines, backwoods hunting roads are full of washers, tv's and the such. They try videotaping some sites to catch pple..but most of these "rednecks" know the woods and hollows better than anyone else.”

“danababy, it is not a lack of solid waste facilities.

It is more a lack of respect.

The same problems exist all over the state and I never ceased to be amazed when I see garbage dumped out on the road. One small county even put dumpsters in rural areas to try to stop the illegal dumping and people would just sling the bags up against the dumpster instead of putting the bags inside. Needless to say, the wildlife began to strow the #&%!$ everywhere.

No, I don't think it is a lack of where to put it, it is a complete disregard of environmental decency.”

“I'm sure if you drive around you could find out exactly where the problem is coming from. They usually live in a pile of their own #&%!$ to begin with.

I sadly agree that a place to put it probably wouldn't help. We have pretty strict laws here in Indiana and I have to admit I've turned in people for littering when I see it happen. I also pack an extra garbage bag on the trail to pack out what others didn't.

I don't know what the solution would be. You just can't watch everyone all the time. Here in southern Indiana, several problem spots have recently been set up with hidden surveilance cameras, but that only addresses a small portion of the problem.”

“People who litter need to be shot!


8)”

“Yep. I was a regular person, too, before I got into all this back-to-Nature crap! LOL”

“True story of the deep seated evil in my heart.

About 10 years ago I was walking out of a supermarket with a friend of mine to buy limes for tequila. I saw a big cadillac driving towards me and the driver threw a cig butt out of the window, he was also driving much too fast for a parking lot. He made a right turn up the aisle I was parked in, as he turned that put me in close proximity to his opened drivers window.

I turned my gluteus maximus so that it was directly pointed into his window and dropped a bomb directly into his fat lazy face, my friend lost it. Partly for my evil act, and partly over the look on his wifes face”

“"Yes sir, Officer Obie, I cannot tell a lie. I put that envelope under that halfa ton of garbage."


ag”

“Nice. I always wanted to toss the butt back in their car. I will post from jail if i ever manage.”

“You mean.... an Air Biscuit??”

“Beetle Bonnet!!!!! LoL!”

“Opie's got a good point. Aside from trash that physically has to be lifted and thrown into the woods, alot of litter is from people fulling their pick-up truck beds full of trash to take to the dump Saturday morning because in rural mountain communities we don't have trash pick-up - we have to haul our own trash to the dump and I bet ALOT flies out of the bed onto the roadsides.”

“Call the county jail and demand the prisoners' time to pick up the mess. Call and call until they do it - or go help pick it up yourself. Going through Greenpeace is a headache, and, of course, they will turn it into political fodder for lefty liberals to eat out of their hands...”

“Typical response of an inbred hick.

And as for the trash and butts, why do you people worry so much? If you don't like the trash get out and pick it up. Quite whining and solve the problem.”

“I drove to TN through Linville. Not sure what area it was in TN, but it was really really bad.”

“hmm... let's see one act is illegal and rude, and one is just rude.

Trash in the streets is disgusting, if you wanna live in a dump feel free... I don't

which is more redneck?”

“ditto - cool breeze. And it's not just East TN or TN in particular.

high litter areas have been known to coincide with high poverty areas... and high air pollution areas, etc.”

“cool breeze's comment on Donman - just about doing something about litter.. shew!”

“Cool Breeze is a troll!! I didn't know!! Sorry!”

“One small step is paying deposit fees on cans and bottles. Iowa's is 5 cents. Minnesota's is nil. Where is there more litter? Not Iowa.

It seems like that gets people thinking about a cleaner environment, by taking those cans and bottles back for the refund of the deposit. I dunno, but since that went into effect, Iowa looks pretty decent.

Opie also has a point. I live in the karst topography capital of Minnesota now. So you want to fill a sinkhole? And can get rid of unwanted junk at the same time? Why, way to solve the world's problems!!!! lol... althought the Soil Conservatin Service is trying to do its part to stop that and retain natural watersheds.”

“I just did my bit for garbage on TrailTalk

+ message from cool breeze being ignored


Too bad the Liberals were completely shut-out from contributing to the Republican joke of an energy bill.”

“A moment there. Smokygirl, I am NOT going to call Greenpeace. It was meant as a joke. Second, I did not start this thread to "whine" about it. I am a serious person when it comes to this problem. I am aware it is not limited to the areas I mentioned. I did not point the particular localities out to ridicule them. I get out and pick up litter and recycle. I write to my elected officials. I attend meetings. If not for being barely able to complete the hike on Sat due to my recovery, I"d likely have been picking up trash with my spouse that day. It was meant for 2 reasons 1) I find that the Cumberland Plateau Region seems to have both a litter *and* vandalism (graffiti) problem unlike any I've seen before. Trying to come to understand why. 2) To vent frustration and dismay over it.
I come from rural poverty. We did not do these things. Not wanting to judge... simply to get a handle on it. Poor does not mean slob in every case. It cannot be used as an excuse.”

“well i dont know how TN or other states mentioned do it but...GA will put the inmates out to pick up trash damn near every time the roadsides get mowed or more often if possible...BRING BACK THE CHAIN GANGS!!!!!!!! ..they sing nice songs...very soothing....i used to ride my horse by them while they were cleaning up litter near my house and imagine what fun they must be having....”

“Like I give a crap if some loser named tilt ignores my post. It doesn't matter to me. Hell that just makes it easier to make fun of him.

And as far as donman. Sticking your butt in someone's face and ripping a fart is about the lowest class thing I can think of. Maybe some redneck hillbilly like smokeygirl thinks it's sexy but I would venture most civilized people wouldn't think so.
I'm beginning to really have my doubts about this whole backpacking thing. I'm not sure I want to hang with such low class louts.”

“No problem cool breeze, 'this whole backpacking thing' isn't for everyone. If you are offended by farts I don't think I want you doing your business in the back country. So take your TNF and LL Bean and take up car camping, but please throw away all your trash in authorized recepticles.

Thanks for playing”

“I like litter, it has a unique sparkle.”

“I don't believe it: an Ice Tea post where all the words are spelled correctly.

Too bad about the comma splice.”

“the tennessee trash campaign of the 80's featured irv kane as t.t.

i worked with irv years later and he confirmed that the program did have a positive effect here. Last year the new 'replacement' t.t. was at the gatlinburg xmas parade. One of the road crew guys remembered irv - he was a talent.”

“while i can understand the mentality of having prisoners work for their keep, i don't think this begins to address the problem. it teaches people to continue to litter because someone else will pick it up.

i too grew up in an extremely poor, rural area. there were plenty of "dumps" to be found along the roadsides, back in the woods, etc...

at one time having your own dump was more than acceptable and commonly practiced.

i think the fact that you post here means you are more in tune to things of this nature. many folks don't give it second thought. as a matter of fact, many were raised, and continue to be raised, with the idea that it is more than acceptable to have your own dump.”

“Wounded Knee, That was Road rage you witnessed, not littering. That guy threw away a dime to hit that other car with the bottle.

I think the deposit system works wonderfully. We don't find too many cans and bottles laying around in MI. I wish the state would also put depositson juice and esp water bottles and cigarette butts. $.20 each for a butt? I bet a whole lot less of them would go sailing out the car window.”

“Keeping things picked up encourages people to dispose of litter properly.

When people see trash everywhere they are more likely to think that it won't hurt to toss a bit more.

The city of Baltimore is appalling.

These urban hillbillies dispose of washers and sofas in alleys the way that their rural counterparts heave their stuff in hollers.

City budget cuts for everything from sanitation to education assure that the problems will only get worse.”

“Sass is right. I remember the waythings used to be like 'round here. The every raod side had some depth of smashed glass. You have to hit them in the pocket book, along with having the prisoners out there full filling there debt to socity. Take away there TV's and put a shovel in there hand!”

“No reason to get offended. This isn't like the Smokies chat page - people have lively conversations and disagree with each other here. The sensitives ones get offended when different opinions are thrown out and challenged. Aside from nasty disgusting trolls, of course. I didn't necessarily mean that all poor people are slobs (that's not what I said), but if you look at the rural areas in the United States, they are generally more polluted. Rich people have more power. Power can be money. This goes with so many variabilities such as how you are raised and what is accepted, etc.

Not only the Cumberland Plateau area, but Sevier, Blount (cold springs road, for instance - butterfly gap road), and Cocke as well.

I agree - I think by being a backpacker - you are *generally* sensitive to this. As for the joke about Greenpeace, I can't stand them so I didn't get the joke. I don't care for their tactics, but I recognize the need for extremities at the same time. So yes, litter is a problem in many places. As to why, there are many reasons and variables. I was pointing out a few.

Take care.”

“I was driving east on I-10 from Los Angeles in summer '80 across the desert.

In the hot sun the highway appeared to be bordered by glittering gems.

It was just the sun reflected off the zillions of bottles and cans which lay beside the road.

The density of the trash decreased with distance from the road.

Some of the drivers had quite an arm.”

“my "want to do something about it" post was a little harsh - didn't mean to sound flippant. Wasn't my intention. Harder to get meaning across with text. I was writing that in a hurry so I didn't tailor my words enough... :D”

“Let me cut to the chase----

1st. Smokygirl, I didn't get one bit offended by you and no worries. You are a sweetie and I think alot of you. I just do. :-)

But Now that I have stirred the pot, Made inflammatory statements, etc.. Let me throw this out to
you-uns.

I'm working on something that could be both fun AND a help for the situation. I've been making some phone calls to see what about a Clean Up Day. I thought it would be fun to make it a little competitive if it motivates people.
It would be a help to the environment and have some fun while working together. Two or mor teams doing litter detail in areas close by one another. whoever picks up the most bags of trash wins the prize. Have time to get clean ourselves and then a time of fellowship. Have a meal together?

I think I'm going to phone the guy in charge of the state natural areas to see what he says. I'd been in contact with Jackson Co. They are definitely in favor. Very supportive. I've been trying to get in touch with John Long of the Qualla Boundary about a much needed clean up at Soco Falls. His line is forever busy!
Say what you think?”