Why do people do this?

[California Girl]

I think a better question is WHY would you smoke in your car in the first place... its like smoking in your house...NO WAY...even if I WAS a smoker I wouldn't do either...

As someone who quit over 20 yrs. ago, the question I ask today is "why would you even smoke?"

I know you guys out there who are my friends and who smoke, and I would never urge you to quit, even though I'm concerned for your health. And those of you I'm speaking to are very considerate and always make sure you are downwind, or somewhere that your smoke won't bother me when you light up, and if you have to put your cigarette out where there is no ashtray, you stub it out on the ground and put the butt in the next trash can.

Not everyone is a cigarette butt litterbug, but unfortunately too many people are.

[JT]

I was waiting on the Virginia side for the car ferry at White's Ferry, a beautiful, pretty, historic vessel that transports cars across the Potomac River from MD to Va, about 20 miles up-river from DC, when the guy in front of me threw his lit cigarette out on the ground next to his car. Mind you there's not a lick of trash anywhere there. So being the ballsy SOB that I can sometimes be, I got out of my truck, picked it up, went to his window and said, "I think you dropped this." He looked at me disgustedly, but took it from me.

[chrisn]

I am not a smoker, my husband is. He does not smoke in the house or in my Jeep. He does smoke in his truck when he is alone in it. I don't think he uses his ashtray and I've never thought about it...but the kids and I will bust his a$$ if we find out he's throwing them out the window!:evil: I do know he's never left his butts on the beach or tossed them in the ocean.

[California Girl]

I got out of my truck, picked it up, went to his window and said, "I think you dropped this." He looked at me disgustedly, but took it from me.

Awesome!!

[canucknyc]

I was waiting on the Virginia side for the car ferry at White's Ferry, a beautiful, pretty, historic vessel that transports cars across the Potomac River from MD to Va, about 20 miles up-river from DC, when the guy in front of me threw his lit cigarette out on the ground next to his car. Mind you there's not a lick of trash anywhere there. So being the ballsy SOB that I can sometimes be, I got out of my truck, picked it up, went to his window and said, "I think you dropped this." He looked at me disgustedly, but took it from me.

Awesomeness.

[Terry]

Priceless.

[Chet]

JT - is the Jubal Early still running? I do the same thing on the Hill as I bike everywhere. Litter goes out the window, I stop and pick it up, chase down the offender, then ask if it's ok to come to their neighborhood and toss out my garbage...risky behaivor in the city.

[surfnh]

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.

Wow don't tell me that posters were trying to defend dropping their butts on the beach?

Re the dolphin market, yeah I was also really surprised that people were upset with business owners defending their parking spots, sounds normal to me.....

Thanks all for the feedback on butts.....I've got some more questions I'll post when my wife allows me.

[JT]

JT - is the Jubal Early still running? I do the same thing on the Hill as I bike everywhere. Litter goes out the window, I stop and pick it up, chase down the offender, then ask if it's ok to come to their neighborhood and toss out my garbage...risky behaivor in the city.

Yes, Chet, the ferry is still running though they did have a near disaster last winter. A bit of background for those that don't know White's Ferry. It is a privately owned car ferry that goes from MD to Va near Leesburg,Va. It can handle about 20 cars. The ferry runs across the Potomac River attached to a heavy cable that is just under the surface. They shutdown when the river gets swollen from heavy rains, or big snow thaws in the spring. Anyway, this past early spring, a huge tree came down the river, hit the ferry, and broke the cable. The ferry, with about 20 cars on board went down stream on the river about 100 yards before getting hung up on something. They had to a river rescue of the people, then managed to somehow tow the ferry back up to the crossing area the next day. Nobody got hurt, but several of the commuters said "Never again!"

I looked around and found this one picture that I had. This was taken on a fair, gentle day.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12829989@N00/5893704755/" title="SAM_0313 by taterjoes, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5112/589 ... b117_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="SAM_0313"></a>

[California Girl]

That's rather quaint and cool!