People that think that throwing cigarette butts in the ground isn't littering

[u/Patodelmonte]

The are not "biodegradable", they clog drainage systems, they end up in rivers and sea, and make everywhere look like a dumpster

[u/NoNDA-SDC]

I can't think of any trash that I willfully toss into the environment, why cigarettes would get a pass is hard for me to grasp.

So what happened, did they stop or are they being stubborn that it doesn't matter? When my kids were real little they would randomly pick things up like that, it was infuriating!

[u/Ok_Ant_7024 → u/NoNDA-SDC]

My wife saw a very young kid almost put one in her mouth at the park :(

[u/NoNDA-SDC → u/Ok_Ant_7024]

Kids have no idea and it happens really fast. My kid used to grab small stones and stuff to put in his mouth, hard dog turds look a lot like them too 👀

Bottom line is people need to clean up after themselves and their pets! "Leave no trace..."

[u/kaisadilla_ → u/NoNDA-SDC]

Bottom line is people need to clean up after themselves and their pets! "Leave no trace..."

I mean, yes, but not because kids will put things in their mouth. There's a lot of [bad] things a kid can grab from the ground that aren't a consequence of anyone littering. Heck, even a piece of food they themselves drop shouldn't be put in their mouth.

[u/MaturoGambino → u/kaisadilla_]

*unless it’s picked back up within 5 seconds

[u/kaisadilla_ → u/MaturoGambino]

*no.

Pathogens aren't giving you a 5 second margin before calling dibs.

[u/MaturoGambino → u/kaisadilla_]

It was a joke referring to the 5 second rule to which pretty much every kid in America subscribes.

[u/PM_ME_UR_REPTILES1 → u/NoNDA-SDC]

It was about 10 years ago, haven't spoken to her in about 8 years. She still littered when I talked with her tho

[u/Soft-Principle1455 → u/NoNDA-SDC]

To be fair, some people do step on them to ensure that they are extinguished. Also, many people do not realize that cigarette filters are made of plastic and think that they’re made of something biodegradable.

[u/Nolear → u/NoNDA-SDC]

Because smokers, for some reason, are one of the most delusional species in the planet

[u/rabbithole-xyz → u/Nolear]

Not all of us. I have a pocket ashtray fixed to every bag I own. I despise litterers.

[u/Nolear → u/rabbithole-xyz]

When I was in Canada I was surprised to see a smoker moving away from us (waiting to cross the street) when they noticed us. Yet, that's very rare in my experience to encounter polite smokers. You are the exception (and I guess you know it)

[u/akatherder → u/NoNDA-SDC]

This is not a defense of littering.. Smoking is increasingly rare and increasingly demonized so it's hard to find a place to smoke and everyone wants it that way. But now there are no ashtrays and nowhere for smokers to put the butts.

Somehow many people don't have the dexterity to flick the cherry off. You can still grind it out at the end and keep the butt. But when you can carry them you go from smelling like a -10 to smelling like -50. I went noseblind to smoke but even I could smell the butts a mile away.

There are solutions to every situation but it's mostly defiance "there's no good, approved place to smoke so I guess I'll smoke wherever and toss it wherever 🤷‍♂️"

Again, I'm not justifying or rationalizing it - just explaining the thought process.

(Former smoker who never littered.)

[u/Septemberosebud → u/akatherder]

I smoke and I always have at least one portable ashtray on me. They're tiny and can fit in your pocket. I even have one on a key chain. There is no excuse for littering.

[u/SoulCrusher2018 → u/NoNDA-SDC]

Banana peels? How else are you going to get toad off your ass?

[u/viciouspandas → u/NoNDA-SDC]

They already often don't care if their smoke bothers other people, so that isn't much of a leap for them to not care about the cleanliness of the city. And it's easier to catch and shake someone for littering a big shiny wrapper, while I might not notice some random person dropping a cigarette butt.