Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
I have a problem with the smokers who believe that the world is their ashtray, and feel free to discard their butts wherever they happen to be standing, especially so on the beach, but the way to deal with this problem is to bust their ass for littering, in the same way that dog owners who do not clean up after their pets should be busted, but beaches/parks/etc. should not be declared off-limits to dogs.
|
I have known many smokers. They were of varying levels of good citizenship generally, but even the best of them were not above tossing aside a spent butt if they could do so discreetly. I think this is because they believe their first responsibility is to put them out, which generally involves grinding them with the balls of their feet. Once it's on the ground, it seems somewhat less of their responsibility to pick it back up. And check the car ashtrays of your smoking friends --- either they're remarkably empty, or not quite as full as your math indicates they should be.
They will tell you it biodegrades. Don't ask me how I know this, but it typically takes a modern cigarette filter 5 to 10 years to break down, depending on environmental conditions.
I'm not against smoking; I've enjoyed cigars from time to time (note: no filter; much quicker to biodegrade, and usually smells nicer until it does). But the Good Citizen Smoker is a very rare bird.
