Cigarettes out the window (5)
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Jul 19, 2006
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Every time I see someone flick a cigarette out their car window, I want to get out of my car, pick up the cigarette butt, and shove it down that person's throat. I think that's a reasonable response. If the smoker's rationale is that "cigarette butts are too small to do anything bad to the environment", then I'd like to suggest that cigarette butts are also too small to do anything bad to your gastrointestinal tract. Once again, a reasonable response in my opinion.
But honestly, what's the deal? I've heard that smokers don't like to put the butts in the ashtray because it makes their car smell. I got news for ya: You smell. Your hair, your clothes, your breath. Everything. It stinks. And everyone knows you smoke. Isn't it enough that you're destroying the environment by spewing out your noxious fumes? Do you need to litter too? Would it make you mad if I threw some trash in your bedroom? Would you be angry if threw burning matches in your front lawn?
I guess I just don't understand the problem. I drive a car. I eat and drink while driving, so I generate garbage. But I put my garbage in a trash bag. It's really quite simple. When I'm done with my candy wrapper, I put it in the trash bag instead of throwing it out the window. When I'm done drinking my coffee, I put the cup in the trash bag instead of throwing it out the window. At what point did it become an acceptable practice to throw little pieces of trash out the window? Where's the logic? Where's the disconnect? What the heck is wrong with these people? #science
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Comments:
2006-07-26 15:15:21
Mental Floss pointed to a Smithsonian Institute link that said that cigarette butts take about 10 years to decompose. To be honest, that doesn't sound terribly bad, but I still disagree with the practice. The SI link mentioned the effect of cigarette butts on animals that eat them. That's actually a good point. Animals aren't very selective in their consumption of garbage, and I would imagine that cigarette butts contain a good amount of nasty chemicals, seeing that their purpose is to "filter" something before it enters the human body. But no matter how long it takes to decompose, the issue is still there: Smokers are stupid for the sole reason that they contribute to about 98%* of the world's litter.
* Not independently verified
2006-10-17 11:06:15
This USA Today article talks about several states who have hotlines to "report motorists who toss cigarette butts and other trash out the window". That's an awesome idea. Unfortunately, no fines are given out because the events aren't witnessed by a police officer. The offender gets a phone call telling them about the fines associated with littering, and in some cases, they get a plastic litter bag. (via Obscure Store)
2007-02-04 01:42:26
Wow, sounds like someone needs a cigarette.
2008-07-23 10:58:16
I'm with Smokey
2008-07-24 15:05:53
Don't you remember Mr. Miller said the Key deer in Florida are addicted to the nicotine from the cigarette butts, which constantly lure them to the side of the highway, which results in them getting hit by cars. Also, my friend Sara lived in Vermont for awhile, and once at a stoplight she threw her cigarette out and the man actually threw the still burning cigarette back in her car!
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