I have to admit to something that I am not proud of: when I'm driving in my car (and it is usually only when I am driving in my car), I throw my cigarette butts out the window.

I have to confess that if someone ever confronted me about this, I would just have to crumble and concede that I had done wrong. I am a hypocrite. I am guilty of doing something that I condemn. In my mind, it just isn't right to litter the ground with cigarette butts or anything else. Air? Go for it. I am hardly an environmentalist. There's massive amounts of air to go around and, no, I'm not worried about "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" or whatever they're calling it this week. I don't think that smoking detracts from the aesthetic appeal of an environment. Littering, though, I think does.

I did recently purchase one of those ash cans for my car that are available for about two bucks. I have been using it, but I forget occasionally out of habit.

When outside on smoke breaks at work, I've seen people throw their butts on the ground when there is an ash tray, no kidding, an arms length away from them. I've got to say that this irritates me. I don't obsess about it, or write my congressman, or froth at the mouth like anti-smokers, but it bugs me. I wonder why others who choose to smoke are so oblivious of our situation and just adding fuel to the fire by littering when they have a perfect opportunity not to.

Of course, there are some situations where it is just impractical to do anything but toss your butt on the ground. There is no ashtray and stuffing the butt in your pocket really does smell and it will only add to the anti-smoker perception that smokers smell.
I've bolded the next three paragraphs because you don't have to read them. I got a bit longwinded. You can just skip to the end if you want.

(On a side note, in front of my building at work, there are two door sections to the sides, and a middle section with an ashtray, designed for people to smoke. While standing outside on break, I noticed people standing in front of the doors on the side several times. I want to note that one or maybe two were smoking while the rest were non-smokers who congregated around the smoker to talk (because, yes, smokers are popular and cool). I'd tell my co-workers "you guys shouldn't block the entrance" because I know how the Anti brain works--"smokers are blocking the entrances", despite the fact that, let's say, four of five, are actually non-smokers.

Sure enough, we get the memo I've been expecting for months because I know the issue and the current politics so well. It says that "smokers" are congregating aroung the entrances and people must smoke at least 30 feet from the entrances. The memo, distributed by our boss as directed by the building owners, says that "we must comply with the law". This is despite the fact that there is no such law. I pointed out to my manager that there was no such law and he said "It's ridiculous. They don't even know that the law says 100 feet." Even the people who agree with me can't get it straight: there is currently no law where I live saying that you can't smoke within any distance of an entrance.

I don't own a cell phone, but I also had a convenience store clerk get angry with me when I corrected him when he told a customer that there is a law proclaiming that you can't speak on a cell phone near a gas pump. I told him there was no such law. He insisted there was. He said that it could start a fire and I pointed out to him that this was an urban myth. To my amazement, he said, "You saw the "Mythbusters" where they said it was static electricity, didn't you?" I told him I did. He said "Well, they don't know what the fuck they're talking about, because a cell phone is nothing but static electricity." That, of course, isn't true and the cell-phone-gas-pump fires are, in fact, a misperception. It was a revelation to me though. Even the power of television can't remove the power of television. Whoever gets to them first and inspires their imagination holds onto them. After that, there's no talking them out of it. My girlfriend was filling up recently and told me the attendant wouldn't turn the pump on because someone sitting in the car with the doors closed was talking on a cell phone.)

To sum up, I have to ask: are you annoyed by others who choose to smoke engaging in behavior that is detrimental to our cause?

The location of the ash tray disctates where smokers will congregate. I assume management of the buiilding place it in a central location for the convience of those smokers entering the building, it is obviously it is the last ash tray they will see until they leave the building.

I have always used the ash tray in my car, when it fills I empty it at home. I look for an ash tray before lighting a cigarette and use it, even for the ashes.

When at the home of a non-smoker and have been required to smoke outside I snuff the cigarette and dispose of the butt after drenching it in water in a trash recepticle.

If I am unable to smoke in an area I leave and never return.

Regardless, government receives big money for every butt and should do something in return for the money. I try not to contribute to the problem, but I am tired of hearing about butt litter. If it bothers people so much, why aren't they picking them up?

Winston, the litter issue,to me, at least is moot.

I pick up more mickie d's wrappers and beer bottles out of my yard than anything else. Look around while you're driving down the road. The berm is littered by fast-food wrappers, cups, pop bottles, old mufflers, tire caps from tire blow-outs, etc. I have noticed all of the above.

I don't think people should throw them (cig ends)on the ground, but I don't think anyone should throw all of the trash from their last 5 fast-food meals on the ground, either. But some folks do. There are already anti litter laws in place. That's what the antis seem to forget. It's LITTER. It's ALREADY against the LAW to litter. So cig ends are worse litter than the 10 pounds of beer bottles and food wrappers I pick up out of my yard in a month's time?


I don't think so.

It's just another anti smoke screen.

My whole argument is as follows: If workplaces and other public establishments would allow smoking indoors as they did 15 years ago (and had no problem with it until the Anti's brainwashed everybody into believing that it was a health hazard), then there would be far less littering of butts near entrances. As of November 16, my entire workplace PROPERTY will become smoke-free, even outdoors, even IN YOUR OWN CAR if it's on the lot. This will not be popular, as about 80-90% of the employees are smokers, including the supervisors who will be obligated to enforce this Fascist policy. I sincerely hope that they will "look the other way" when the bigwigs aren't there. It sucks to be me.......

I want to be clear: I am not advocating any type of special rule or law that singles out cigarette butts as opposed to other kinds of trash. Littering is littering, whether it be a soda can, a wrapper, or a butt.

Of course, there are already littering laws. I am not advocating further legislation. I'm simply talking about a matter of civility.

I don't think that two wrongs make a right. I don't think that anyone perceives throwing butts on the ground as an act of civil disobedience in protest of anti-smoking policies. They just think "Oh, look, someone littered again". So, I guess I disagree. I dislike zealoutry and no, I am not going to be the jerk who goes "Hey, you! Pick that up!" if I see someone throw something on the ground. To be honest, sometimes it's just not worth the trouble. But when it isn't any trouble, I don't see why people can't take it upon themselves to be a little more conscientious.

Otherwise, we end up with yet another big, dumb government policy to add to our misery.

quote:

I don't see why people can't take it upon themselves to be a little more conscientious.

I agree. We know you aren't advocating more laws.I also agree that throwing a butt down on purpose, in an act of civil disobedience accomplishes nothing.

I can see all of the points here. Personally, I am a fanatic against cig butts being thrown out car windows.....I have actually stopped my car and made a passenger get out and go pick it up.......but with that said, the anti-smokers are the ones that have created much of the butt litter problems by aiding and abetting the removal of ashtrays from places where they have always been common.

The yard waste 383 mentions is not a myth, it is true, but 2 wrongs don't make a right. My property has 500 feet of road frontage on a very heavily used road and the trash that I have pulled out of the ditch since we have lived here is mind boggling........cigarette butts are the least of the problem.
I do have to admit the $250 trailer hitch we found in one of our cleaning weekends last year did come in quite handy

The county mowers will be coming through to clear the ditches one last time before winter sets in, so husband and I will devote part of next weekend to clearing the trash out of the ditch........I'll have to make a point of paying a bit more attention to the manner of trash we haul out of there.

Winston,

Another great posting from you. I agree that throwing butts all over is extremely annoying, and it does add fuel to the fire.

I know my opinion isn't welcome but here goes anyway.

I have never liked the butt on the ground or out the window, I never did it as a smoker and I still don't like it 23 years later. One stupid behaviour I have seen is the guy who is car proud but uses his ashtray in the car anyway(good) but then he empties the ashtray on the ground(bad). Now I have to admit I haven't seen it in a while but it seemed to be the done thing here several years ago.(noticed mostly at petrol stations right next to a bin)

If the situation there is like here cigarette butts are one of the most prevalent litter (by number not volume).Here is a fact sheet from Clean Up Australia I see no reason to believe the situation is different in USA.

The ash trays next to the doors of most office blocks are there for people to butt out their cigarettes when entering the building rather than a focal point for smoking. I guess a person on a cigarette break could put their butts in the ashtray as they re-enter the building after butting it on their shoe. Or pick up one of those little pocket ash trays for about $2.00 which they can empty on the way back in or in the bin at home. From a non-smokers point of view I think it may be considered bad manners to put the butt in a bin inside the building(smell).

Well that's my 2 cents worth, I hope this post hasn't offended anyone.(I seem to have a knack)

quote:

Originally posted by I know it all:
One stupid behaviour...empties the ashtray on the ground(bad). Now I have to admit I haven't seen it in a while but it seemed to be the done thing here several years ago.

I remember seeing that a lot years ago. Not anymore. But I see far more people throwing them out their windows than ever before. That's probably why I don't see piles anymore.

I was behind 3 different cars on a 1 mile stretch of road a few months ago and all 3 threw butts out the window.

Try riding a motorbike behind them! It's even worse at night when you can see the shower of red glowing embers bouncing off the road all over your expensive ballistic nylon protective clothing.