This past Thursday I witnessed an old habit that a lot of Americans used to practice on a daily basis, including my own family driving down the road on the Yakama Reservation...littering. I know I've even done it as a child but as I grew older I knew it was wrong. To see it this day in age is such an unusual site which is a statement of how far we have come in such time.
I was at Jack in the Box here in Ballard getting my usual weekly fast food meal which happened to be on that night. After I had ordered, I went to go put my drink in the car where I saw a man sitting in an old four-door Buick opening his door and setting down a full brown bag of trash on the ground next to his car. I stopped in shock and shook my head in disbelief. After getting my food I saw the same man throwing a used Kleenex out of his window.
So I contemplated if I should say something and after the week I have been having I figured why not. I approached the man about his personal choice to leave the items on the ground but he was adamant that he had planned on throwing it away, even the Kleenex. I had a hard time believing him so to make sure he didn't forget I picked up the bag and placed it on his window so he wouldn't forget. He calmly pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one up. He obviously had other things on his mind.
Like I said it is an unusual to see this but if we all think about it, not so much. At my bus stop in Magnolia there is no trash can, but it doesn't seem a good enough excuse to dispose of your items on the ground and/or in someones bushes that happen to be next to the bus stop. I have even seen one crazy guy who always happens to arrive on Sundays on my way to a Hawks game. He cleaned his teeth with a rag and Kleenex and when he was finished, found a nice spot in the bushes and placed them there.
After telling Hayley and my mom about my JITB story, both noted their concern about what could have happened if it was an unstable person behind the wheel of that Buick. I feel now that speaking up about it maybe that have been worth my life so I will take heed in the future. So everyone please give a hoot, don't pollute.
