A load of rubbish

[Nick Armstrong]

I find David Sedaris an amusing raconteur, but what is one to make of this....?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/11328874/Poor-people-who-shop-at-Tesco-are-more-likely-to-drop-litter-author-David-Sedaris-says.html

[Serial_Apologist]

Among hints he's dropping, 1 or 2 spelling mistakes, which surprise me, for expected Torygraph standards.

[Dave2002]

It's a bit sad, but the writing seems genuine enough.

The head teacher said it's demeaning to make children pick up rubbish. If that's the lesson there's no hope.

If the kids are dropping the litter, what's wrong with asking them to pick it up? I don't know the school in question, but some schools are over tolerant of what is clearly bad behaviour by the students who attend them. At the very least, a letter to parents asking them to exhort their children not to discard litter would not be unreasonable, though would perhaps simply add to the piles of litter mentioned in the article as they would probably be thrown away before the parents got to read them. OTOH, what's wrong with letters from school sent by email?

I'm a bit surprised at DS's description of the area round Pulborough - it's hardly one of the UK's "wild west" spots, is it?

[Flosshilde]

"I'm not trying to sound like a snob" - no, it just come naturally.

[Stillhomewardbound]

I'm not sure who said it, but someone remarked that attitudes to litter define the new boundaries of the class system:

The lower classes throw their litter away, the middle classes take their litter home and the upper classes take other peoples litter home.

Litter and rubbish on the streets are one of the most depressing things I find in London on a daily basis and so symptomatic of the fecklessness that has afflicted generations since the Thatcher Years (I say that lightly, as an indication on a timeline rather than pointing a finger of blame).

This 'jetsam' tendency I find symbolic of a lack of responsibility. It's the gesture by which some find themselves momentarily inconvenienced and they respond by divorcing themselves from THEIR problem, only to make it somebody else's problem.

They'll do this within sight of a rubbish bin or carrying shop bags in which they could take their waste home with them.

However, I really am not sure that it is a tendency exclusive to the lower classes.

One sees it on the trains all the time. Someone comes on and there's a newspaper left on the seat they want to occupy. Rather than just put it above in the luggage rack or in to the bin just feet away, they'll toss it on to another seat.

Rather then taking the tiniest bit of responsibility they just set it aside to make it somebody else's concern.

Personally, dropping litter is something I absolutely cannot do. I suppose that growing up in my world (suburban Comprehensive boy) the discarding of litter had something of a moral dimension to it. That was then amplified by the Green element and the perils of disposed synthetic rubbish that would never break down in any organic manner.

Our world is all overspill these days. Too loud mobile phone conversations, domestic disagreements played out in the shopping centre and feet up on the seats of the bus or the train.

The answer? The solution? I really don't know but wouldn't it be marvellous, as happens with fluoride, that we could sprinkle a few drops of an elixir into the water supply from a bottle marked 'consideration for others and our society in general'.

[Flay]

One sees it on the trains all the time. Someone comes on and there's a newspaper left on the seat they want to occupy. Rather than just put it above in the luggage rack or in to the bin just feet away, they'll toss it on to another seat.

Rather then taking the tiniest bit of responsibility they just set it aside to make it somebody else's concern.

Or perhaps they are kindly leaving it for others to read?

[Richard Barrett]

Litter and rubbish on the streets are one of the most depressing things I find in London on a daily basis and so symptomatic of the fecklessness that has afflicted generations since the Thatcher Years

Yes but let's not pretend that this is a British problem exclusively. Large parts of Manhattan, for example, make London streets look like something you could eat your dinner off.

[Don Petter]

I'm not sure who said it, but someone remarked that attitudes to litter define the new boundaries of the class system:

The lower classes throw their litter away, the middle classes take their litter home and the upper classes take other peoples litter home.

I certainly pick up any litter outside or near our house, but I didn't realise that made me upper class.

Must think about hiring some domestic servants (and then they can pick the litter up, and everyone will be happy).

[teamsaint]

I certainly pick up any litter outside or near our house, but I didn't realise that made me upper class.

Must think about hiring some domestic servants (and then they can pick the litter up, and everyone will be happy).

Ah, so if SHB is correct, your lower class staff (assuming you aren't so flash as to be able to afford middle class staff) will be throwing away litter, and then being paid by you to pick it up.

neat.

Literally.

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah, so if SHB is correct, your lower class staff (assuming you aren't so flash as to be able to afford middle class staff) will be throwing away litter, and then being paid by you to pick it up.

neat.

Literally.

[Don Petter]

Ah, so if SHB is correct, your lower class staff (assuming you aren't so flash as to be able to afford middle class staff) will be throwing away litter, and then being paid by you to pick it up.

neat.

Literally.

'Truly there is a divine balance in Nature: a thousand lose that a thousand may gain' (Sellem, Rake's Progress)

[LeMartinPecheur]

Street litter is one thing but country road litter is, um, another?

As I approach retirement I have nightmares that I'll take up serious walking with my dogs round our local lanes (that bit's OK), and feel obliged to become a full time unpaid litter collector I already do a fair bit...

[Pianorak]

Can the poor still shop at Tesco's and pay their outrageous prices?

[richardfinegold]

I didn't realize that David Sedaris had moved to the U.K. He spends 3 hours a day picking up trash? It's very Civic Minded, but perhaps he needs an evaluation for O.C.D.?

[Ferretfancy]

At the end of my street is a small stone shelf against the rear wall of an adjacent property, but not belonging to it. This shelf is constantly used as a dumping ground, and not just for small litter. People have dumped unwanted office equipment such as damaged printers and huge cardboard boxes. I've not been able to identify the offenders with any degree of certainty, but as we are surrounded by estate agents I have a pretty fair idea who to blame.

All this is happening in an area where council refuse collection is very good, and there is no reason why this should happen. It's just slovenly thoughtless behaviour, and middle class at that!