usvi-on-line
Why do people do this?
Why do people do this?
wow, I somehow missed this amusingly long thread on TA about Dolphin market parking, but it got me thinking about why people do certain things......so I'd like to start a thread with a question.....
Can anyone tell me why cigarette smokers throw their butts out their car windows and litter? Not sure if all smokers do this, but I've never noticed a none-smoker do it, so there must be something very important about dumping butts in the street that I haven't figured out yet? Any smokers out there want to explain this one?
Can anyone tell me why cigarette smokers throw their butts out their car windows and litter? Not sure if all smokers do this, but I've never noticed a none-smoker do it, so there must be something very important about dumping butts in the street that I haven't figured out yet? Any smokers out there want to explain this one?
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California Girl
I used to smoke and I have tossed and been tossed on. I was sitting in the back seat of a car with a sweater dress on and the driver flipped his ashes out the window and they came right in my window, landed on my dress and burnt a hole in it. I didn't even realize it until I smelled it burning. 
If I remember correctly, I used to toss my butts out the window before the anti-litter laws and raised consciousness, and it was because I didn't want them stinking up my car. Little did I realize it was already too late!
P.S. Coden, you're right!
If I remember correctly, I used to toss my butts out the window before the anti-litter laws and raised consciousness, and it was because I didn't want them stinking up my car. Little did I realize it was already too late!
P.S. Coden, you're right!
It's an interesting and puzzling thing. It seems that in the mind of the smoker, cigarets are in a sort of special category of objects. In fact, there may not actually even be anything else in the category.
People who wouldn't toss a candy or gum wrapper out of some window will flick a butt out that window without a second thought. People who wouldn't drop kleenex or a bottle cap on the street will drop their cigaret without a second thought. In the mind of the smoker, there isn't even a realization or a second thought---somehow, in the smoker's mind, there's nothing wrong with tossing a cigaret away.
Once I noticed two guys who were standing on the street talking and having a cigaret and a cup of coffee. When they were ready to leave they walked over to a trash can, threw their coffee cups in the can, then dropped their cigarets on the ground. If one had an empty cigaret pack, he probably would have put that in the trash, while leaving the cigaret butts on the ground. He wouldn't toss an empty matchbook but there's a strange blind spot in regard to the cigaret. To the smoker it actually seems that he's supposed to dispose of his cigaret that way. It's very strange. I'm quite gratefull that I was able to stop smoking. I'd probably be thoroughly disgusted with myself if I was still smoking.
People who wouldn't toss a candy or gum wrapper out of some window will flick a butt out that window without a second thought. People who wouldn't drop kleenex or a bottle cap on the street will drop their cigaret without a second thought. In the mind of the smoker, there isn't even a realization or a second thought---somehow, in the smoker's mind, there's nothing wrong with tossing a cigaret away.
Once I noticed two guys who were standing on the street talking and having a cigaret and a cup of coffee. When they were ready to leave they walked over to a trash can, threw their coffee cups in the can, then dropped their cigarets on the ground. If one had an empty cigaret pack, he probably would have put that in the trash, while leaving the cigaret butts on the ground. He wouldn't toss an empty matchbook but there's a strange blind spot in regard to the cigaret. To the smoker it actually seems that he's supposed to dispose of his cigaret that way. It's very strange. I'm quite gratefull that I was able to stop smoking. I'd probably be thoroughly disgusted with myself if I was still smoking.
Last edited by Lex on Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Present company excluded ,right?
This topic got a little ugly on the main forum a couple of years ago. There was a thread complaining about people who leave their cigarette butts on the beaches and some people got really defensive.
That parking thread was interesting. I don't usually read TA but I followed the link to it that was on the News of St. John blog. I was surprised by how many people sided with the tourist.
That parking thread was interesting. I don't usually read TA but I followed the link to it that was on the News of St. John blog. I was surprised by how many people sided with the tourist.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Goodness, I must admit, I have always wondered this. I thought maybe that their cars didn't come with ashtrays or something!....I mean come on, why would you litter like that? And yes, I have been hit by a burning cig that came back in the window and landed on the back of my favorite fleece! Aaaargh...good thing it was a really fun "girl's day out" and we were feeling no pain or I might have gotten hurt...what is it that xislandgirl calls it? oh yeah, a "hot mess"....quite literally...tee hee!
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piscesgirl0314
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