Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MICHAEL MCGOWAN on October 6, 2017 at 21:40

Littering is not exclusively an Eastern European phenomenon. I don’t condone irresponsible behaviour. However, I have some sympathy for people who are exploited by their employers and by their landlords. If I lived in a tiny room with shared bathroom and kitchen, I wouldn’t be enjoying a libation alone indoors in a windowless coffin. I’d be outside. If I couldn’t afford to drink in pubs and if I didn’t feel welcome in the pubs, I’d probably head for an open space. Faced with harsh social and living conditions, I might find myself over-indulging and not being conscious of my social responsibilities. It is an irony that post-Brexit, these men will be gone and our own rubbish could pile up for want of workmen to collect it. 

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Permalink Reply by Hutch Woodward on October 7, 2017 at 22:59

You beat me to it LJD and may i say how very enterprising of them to make a mess so that they can then be employed to clear it up.

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Permalink Reply by MICHAEL MCGOWAN on October 10, 2017 at 19:26

Please don't put your words in my mouth. They leave a sour taste. Let me repeat for you, I have sympathy for people in difficult social conditions, but I don't condone their irresponsible behaviour.

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Kitching on October 11, 2017 at 20:10

Not sure it helps to label the people we think are doing this.  Is there anything we as a community can do to help the situation? Pointing the finger at the council is an obvious one but they can't be everywhere at once and neither can the police.  LJD made a non-confrontational stand to tackle negative behaviour. We could consider following this example as a community and set expectations, for instance by pointing out behaviour we don't approve of or picking up some of the litter ourselves.  I am not suggesting anyone should put themselves in a situation in which they don't feel safe, by the way.

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Permalink Reply by Kate Franzmann on November 3, 2017 at 15:46

So what reaction do you get?  I get, usually, oh sorry!  But it might be how you qpproach people that gets the abuse.  Or perhaps that is just an assumption and you have never asked anyone politely to pick up litter. 

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Kitching on October 11, 2017 at 21:20

I agree with you that people aren't considerate about dumping their rubbish but I still maintain labelling people isn't helpful - focus on tackling the behaviour instead. I clearly remember walking behind someone on Bounds Green Road not so long ago who dropped a load of rubbish on the floor and I said and did nothing. I regret it every time I think about it.  Every night this week I've walked down my street past two neatly tied carrier bags full of rubbish, dropped against lamp-posts as if that's some attempt at making it acceptable, as if the council should stop by every lamp-post expecting a carrier bag of rubbish to be there ready to picked up.  It's unacceptable and I shouldn't have walked by but as a result of this conversation I'm going to go out and put them in my bin. I recognise its a small gesture. 

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