06-26-2008, 12:02 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Okay, this thread is turning into a VENT on trash and pollution. But, the people who are creating the mess are not reading our posts. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The best we can do is take care of our own trash and to pick up what we can that others leave. We will not solve any problems by identifying them on this board. And, some of the comments have been very "politically incorrect". Offensive to many people who are not of the groups mentioned.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Like it or not, people are slobs. A lot of the garbage is left behind by careless or inconsiderate native borned Utah folks, who have been given plenty of good training and examples at home. They are just sloppy...at home and everywhere else.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, like it or not, we are "blessed" with a large population of "non-native" inhabitants who are here only temporarily...or who are newly arrived and care little for our habitat. In many cases these people come from countries where survival is more of an issue than the ecology. If you visit their countries you will see that they don't treat their own environment any better than they do ours. Poverty and garbage are often permanant eyesores on the landscape.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We don't have to like it, but we have to accept that trash is gonna happen. And, our rangers and DWR COs are too few and spread too thin. On a daily basis they have to supervise large areas and deal with infractions more serious than trash. It is unfair to turn them into garbage cleanup too. Yes, they should have the time and ability to police the worst areas, and to issue costly citations. But, in many cases the citations would never be paid nor the littering stopped.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you witness littering, you have two choices. Confront those doing the littering or wait for them to leave and then clean up their mess. Confrontation is not always a good answer. You never know who is whacked out on "substances" or who is likely to use "deadly force" over even a dirty diaper. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Reporting the incident by cell phone is good, if you are in a place that gets reception and where there are rangers to respond. But, as mentioned, these folks have a lot to take care of. If the only available ranger is dealing with a boatful of hostile drunks, they are not likely to drop that and run to a dirty campsite. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you have a camera, start taking pictures. Take pictures of the vehicle and license plate and then the trash left behind. You would be amazed at how suddenly conscientious some of the slobs become when their carelessness is being photographed. But, again, be careful. That could provoke a potentially dangerous situation. Even if you "carry" too, it is not worth exchanging gunfire over a half a bag of trash.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]KEEP IT CLEAN. LOOK OUT FOR YOUR OWN TRASH AND TAKE THE TIME TO IMPROVE THE AREA FOR OTHERS. EVEN IF NOBODY ELSE NOTICES, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The best we can do is take care of our own trash and to pick up what we can that others leave. We will not solve any problems by identifying them on this board. And, some of the comments have been very "politically incorrect". Offensive to many people who are not of the groups mentioned.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Like it or not, people are slobs. A lot of the garbage is left behind by careless or inconsiderate native borned Utah folks, who have been given plenty of good training and examples at home. They are just sloppy...at home and everywhere else.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]And, like it or not, we are "blessed" with a large population of "non-native" inhabitants who are here only temporarily...or who are newly arrived and care little for our habitat. In many cases these people come from countries where survival is more of an issue than the ecology. If you visit their countries you will see that they don't treat their own environment any better than they do ours. Poverty and garbage are often permanant eyesores on the landscape.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We don't have to like it, but we have to accept that trash is gonna happen. And, our rangers and DWR COs are too few and spread too thin. On a daily basis they have to supervise large areas and deal with infractions more serious than trash. It is unfair to turn them into garbage cleanup too. Yes, they should have the time and ability to police the worst areas, and to issue costly citations. But, in many cases the citations would never be paid nor the littering stopped.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you witness littering, you have two choices. Confront those doing the littering or wait for them to leave and then clean up their mess. Confrontation is not always a good answer. You never know who is whacked out on "substances" or who is likely to use "deadly force" over even a dirty diaper. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Reporting the incident by cell phone is good, if you are in a place that gets reception and where there are rangers to respond. But, as mentioned, these folks have a lot to take care of. If the only available ranger is dealing with a boatful of hostile drunks, they are not likely to drop that and run to a dirty campsite. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you have a camera, start taking pictures. Take pictures of the vehicle and license plate and then the trash left behind. You would be amazed at how suddenly conscientious some of the slobs become when their carelessness is being photographed. But, again, be careful. That could provoke a potentially dangerous situation. Even if you "carry" too, it is not worth exchanging gunfire over a half a bag of trash.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]KEEP IT CLEAN. LOOK OUT FOR YOUR OWN TRASH AND TAKE THE TIME TO IMPROVE THE AREA FOR OTHERS. EVEN IF NOBODY ELSE NOTICES, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.[/#0000ff]
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