A genuine question...

[Deleted User]

I can't abide people littering and have in the past shouted at them in the middle of the street and pointed out that they have 'dropped' something! I used to work in a popular seaside town and it used to horrify me how respect for the environment was seldom a priority for many people....
My two kids (early 30s and late 20s) are exactly the same as me - even my 3 year old grandbaby knows how to use a bin and wouldn't dream of littering. 
I do think that it's down to the parents - if it's acceptable to them it's unlikely that their kids will grow up differently 😔

baggins11

I also 100% think it's down to the parents. I also think lockdown has brought out the worst in some people and the best in others. 

Littering is a real bug bear for me and my teenagers would never litter as it's one of the things I have really drummed in to them as it is so important to me.  

I even struggle at the cinema when you leave and you see the mess people leave behind. I have to stop myself from saying something to those around us.

With kids it's like training dogs - you focus on the stuff that's important to you.  Evidently keeping areas litter free seems to be coming less important to lots of people.

(Table manners on the other hand was something I think I dropped the ball on - one of my kids eats like a pig at a trough!)

Brambling

I do think a lot of the mess left on the beaches at the weekend was from adults and not children but I will agree they are then teaching by example to their children.

Sayschezza

Yes Brambling, the people on the beach should have known better than to leave mess for someone/anyone else to clear up.However you are brought up there does come a time in life when you should be adult enough to think for yourself. I can see no excuse for that behaviour from people who look as well undressed/dressed and affluent as they did. And who were they anyway obviously some were people not yet back to work so amongst them there must have been some who work in hospitality, teachers, shop staff etc etc. Not Rif raf we usually blame this sort of behaviour onto.

Brambling

Many years ago I worked at a small country house hotel and some of the worst guests were from a law society dinner where they stayed the weekend one bedroom room was put out of action for several weeks and the carpet replaced as even professional cleaning didn't work.  I was brought up far better in a council house

olgadapolga

baggins11 said:

(Table manners on the other hand was something I think I dropped the ball on - one of my kids eats like a pig at a trough!)

I have drummed the importance of table (and other) manners into my children until I am blue in the face. I cannot abide poor table manners (I blame my mum and grannies, they were the same). Three of my children, including my seven-year old, have excellent table manners and I would happily take them anywhere to eat. My other child has no concept of table manners and to use your phrase, also eats like a pig at a trough. Although I think that the pig would have better manners . . .

GreyQueen

I don't know that there's any kind of forethought into most littering, other than I'm done with this, flingit/ droppit/ stuffit inna hedge. Availability and proximity of legitimate street bins doesn't seem to mitigate this behaviour. Far more fun to impale your tin on a railing or dump it in a parked bicycle's basket (something which has happened to me a few times).

I've given a fair bit of thought to this over the years, including wincing about how much money is wasted clearing up after litterers. I think dropping something you've finished with is probably intrinsic to our species. For example, back in the era when we were nomadic hunter gatherers, you ate a piece of fruit and chucked the inedible bits on the ground. They were natural materials, dispersed into a sparsely-peopled natural environment; no problem. Fast-forward to the current era, where the materials aren't as innocent as a fruit stalk, and only diligent parental training, or lightbulb moments in an otherwise poorly-raised adult, change behaviours.

Re the lawyers trashing the hotel room carpet, I confess myself unsurprised. There is a subset of people who believe that it is the responsibility of others to pick up after them, and they come from all professions and none, and from all social classes. High social status doesn't preclude having swinish manners and no concern for others. It's as if the swines are saying to themselves that they've paid for a service (i.e. hire of a room) and therefore it is legitmate to do whatever they like in said room.

If I knew the answer, I'd gladly share it. In my most annoyed moments, I have fantasised about the return of the town stocks, and putting the swines in there, to be pelted with filth.

Nargleblast

....then release them from the stocks and make them clear up all the mess!

monnagran

I once knew someone who ran a big concert centre type place.  The tales he told were horrific.  By far his favourite conference was the WI.  He reported that not so much as a bus ticket was left to clear up.

annieb64

As a W I member I'm glad to hear the comment about the WI conference. Our WI are very hot on reducing waste and recycling.
It horrifies me to see how much rubbish some people leave. Even this morning walking back from our morning walk - it's  bin day- we could see overflowing wheelie bins and rubbish left beside or on top of bins. Our local tip is only a mile down the road and it is open.

Last year we spend a week in North Devon. I only saw one family leave rubbish on the beach. There were recycling and rubbish bins as we left the beach also bins for broken surf boards and unwanted beach equipment. There was a tap at the entrance  to the beach clearly labelled  drinking water and the sandwich shops put sandwiches in paper bags.The place was busy but it felt clean.