Here we go again with the subject of picking up other people’s trash! This is in NO WAY meant to start trouble or arguing!
It’s just my observation lately that the POINT of picking up trash is to make our world look better and you still have the option of MUTTERING under your breath! As much as you want!
Yesterday I went out on litter patrol and OH MAN!! I filled up the entire 13 gallon bag! 
Thank heaven that was not the normal day!
I am not just going out every other day to pick up litter, I also incorporate Walking into my routine!
So it is NOT whether we should pick up other people’s trash, but GET into a ROUTINE and take a trash bag with you when you go walking, hiking or fishing!
Thanks,
Doug 
wow, i just came back 10 minutes ago from filling up a big heavy duty garbage bag with trash from in the woods behind my house…really sad how much trash there is everywhere…
Doug,
Thanks for bringing this up. I just returned from my annual
vacation to our home base in Idaho.
Seems most of my favorite spots to fish have been trashed
most note ably with beer cans in the rip rap at Riries Hi C area.
I am not just talking a few cans either looks like a dump ground
I have been going into these areas many years and this is the worst I
have seen it. Why? Who knows…
Should be posted pack out your beer cans… as well as other trash
of course…
So very sad indeed!!
I’m done
Steve,
That is a very sore subject with me! Seems things don’t stay the same at our treasured, favorite spots, they get worse! Using the phrase “You can’t fight City Hall” (poor example) the only thing I could think of was to abandon my old fishing grounds and move on to greener pastures. It’s very hurtful that people don’t have respect for anything! What to do? Beat on them? Yell at them? This careless, selfish person with NO respect was actually “RAISED” by a Mother & Father?? :shock: I used to have a bad attitude about Private Fishing, but maybe that is what it’s coming to.
Steve, I am Happy to report that this summer here on the Clackamas River, there was a near riot of drinking rowdy bathers. The Sheriff got mad and shut the Park down, then a Law was passed to OUTLAW alcohol at the county Parks. NOW Families can enjoy going to the Parks without the drunken idiots. This problem had been simmering for the past 2 yrs and it’s great that things got better. There is also a Group that gets together and picks up trash on the Clackamas.
Doug
I think a lot of people don’t actually know what they are doing. That it is bad. They go fishing, leave the worm container, the extra bobbers, the empties. Then come back next weekend and its all gone. It never occurs to them that it will stay there for centuries because they never see it again. If I see other guys out there I always make it a point to pick up some trash while they are watching, or while we are talking. Then I tell them I pick something up every time I go out and I throw all my trash away when I get home. It is usually responded to with an “Oh thats a good idea.” I will never know if they are truthful, but if it makes one person aware and they start doing the same thing it’s worth it.
Earlier this season I picked an aluminum can out of a river. Don’t know what was in it, but it was a pull tab type of can. So it was in the river for a long time. It didn’t have any markings on it, but it still held water, and wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
There was riverlife all over it, just like the rocks but it was bright silver and ready to be recycled. I wish some people just stopped to think about it before they tossed their trash on the banks and in the water.
While we were leaving our favourite lakeside camping spot I took an empty garbage bag and went around to all the now deserted campsites> I picked up other peoples garbage till the bag was full. A young couple with two kids were camped near where I had parked my truck. I flung the garbage bag into the back of my truck.
Seeing this The young mother hurriedly grabbed two garbage bags, rushed over and flung them in alongside mine. I started to laugh as I realized she thought I was the camp janitor or something like that.
She then realized that I was just another camper and began to apologise. I cut her apology off by saying I was just cleaning up the extra garbage others left behind. I told her to leave it in my truck as I pass right by the regional dumping grounds on my way home.
Her husband had known all along what I was doing and laughed his sox off at his embarrassed wife?s expense.
Poor fool that he is He I will bet you money that He will pay for that one. :shock:
:lol:
Since I have quite an imagination, I imagined the other day WHAT people might be saying behind my back while I’m picking up THEIR litter and I came up with, “Mommy what’s that man doing?? Mommy’s answer; OH he’s picking up the trash that WE throw on the ground.” It’s all I’ve come up with so far!
Doug
Dshock
How about this:
Mommy, what is that man doing?
He’s picking up our trash honey
why?
He’s crazy!
but shouldn’t we pick up our own trash mommy ?
Shut up KID do you want to look like him CRAZY ?
But Mommy he is doing a good thing, what are we doing?
SLAP ouch!!! (tears)
I DID NOT SAY THIS WAS A GOOD STORY, IT IS ALL TOO SAD BUT IT COULD BE A TRUE STORY
I TRY NOT TO THINK THIS WAY ALL THE TIME BUT I HAVE SEEN SOME DAMN SAD THINGS AND IT HAS TAINTED THE WAY I LOOK AT PEOPLE…
That is possibly the reason I like fish and animals and my wife more then most if not all other folks (less my sons but the jury is still out on them 
)
I work at a very popular local park. We get over a million people on site every year. It never ceases to amaze me at what, where and when people will toss out trash. We place garbage cans at all the parking, picnic, fishing and other access areas and I’m amazed at the number of folks that will come out to “enjoy nature” and don’t have the sense that God gave a grapefruit when it comes to trash.
I’m not big on educating people through their wallets and will go out of my way to help folks understand the nature of what ever offense I might have had to stop them over but if you toss your litter any place other than the approved receptacle I’m an absolute relentless and unforgiving SOB. You?re getting a ticket, period! I just don’t get it, sorry, this is a no excuses issue as far as I’m concerned.
Now we have hundreds of thousand of nice folks who just want to enjoy themselves. Many are just like you all and not only pick up their own trash but go out of their way to clean up other folks messes. To you all, you have my eternal gratitude and respect, thank you.
The First day I started doing it, I felt EYES on me! I was losing my nerve, but because I’m pro-active, stubborn, and obsessive! I kept right on doing it! :lol: Obsessiveness is a double edge sword! You don’t go running around chasing particles of dust, non-stop, but it’s OK to obsess about something positive, for a period of time.
Besides! 50 % of the people in my neighborhood are CRAZY anyway! So I blend in NICELY!! :lol:
Doug
Having lived in several of the states I believe I can safely say that if you live in a state that has a mandatory deposit on all beverage containers the amount of litter you find is greatly reduced. So if your state does not have a “bottle bill” write your elected representatives and give them $#%&.
Tim
alra195, welcome to FAOL and thanks for posting. I could not handle your job, even though giving out tickets would help, I would just ‘lose it’ and give up.
I read ‘A Sand County Almanac’ years ago, in fact, it was a gift from the fella who writes our ‘Journal’ feature each week. I have over the years probably given out a dozen or so copies myself.
But, I had made a mistake back then. “Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but footprints.” That was my goal for a long time. I’m sure I left more than footprints more than I would like to admit. But, I try now to go even a ‘step’ further. I try to leave no footprints, or anything else. Sure, it’s rarely possible, but it is my intention anyhow. And I try, in my way, on here, to pass the message when I can too. The problem is, on here, it’s like ‘preaching to the choir,’ if you know what I mean. It seems that folks should just know the right things to do, but some just don’t understand I guess. Thanks again for what you do everyday. “We’re all in this together, we’re pullin’ for ya!”
Let me add this too. It’s an old column but, still true I think. http://www.flyanglersonline.com/cst/cst032999.html
It’s ok doug, WE know you live in a little 8’x10’ yellow foam walled box with a little computer in the corner that can only go on FAOL. And if you try to get a little obsessive people in big white coats with needles come in and poke you, and suddenly everything is all fuzzy and wonderful.
[quote=“flyandtie”]
It’s ok doug, WE know you live in a little 8’x10’ yellow foam walled box with a little computer in the corner that can only go on FAOL. And if you try to get a little obsessive people in big white coats with needles come in and poke you, and suddenly everything is all fuzzy and wonderful. :D[/quote]
Chris,
YOU’VE BEEN THERE??? The PURPLE HAZE???
Thanks,
Doug
I saw you on the news when you tried to escape…How long were you strapped down for after that?? :lol:
Chris,
That was my Twin Brother…Evil!
Doug :shock:
Doug,
There is no pain you are receding,
a distant ship’s smoke on the horizon.
We are only coming through in (sine) waves.
After all, you have become, Comfortably Numb.
(Sorry Man, there’s a place on the web that has videos of flies being tied with music in the background. “Welcome to the Machine” was the last one…)
Ed
Ed,
How do they MATCH the music to the FLY???
Doug
Pretty darned well, actually. The time to tye is very close to the length of the soundtrack. They use quite a variety of music.
Ed
JC,
Thanks for the kind words. It’s certainly not a job you do for the money and I’m lucky, most of what I do isn’t law enforcement. The ticket part of the deal is a management tool and it’s one I use infrequently. I’m closing in on the 25 year mark and seem to spend more and more time managing the budget, the personnel and endless paperwork and less and less time doing the things A.L. described in A Sand County Almanac. I’m fortunate that we have an active natural resource program at our facility, mostly centered on the reestablishment of riparian zones and reintroduction and management of tall grass prairies. I feel blessed to have had the chance to do the work I do. Even if I spent far more time in the office and behind the computer than I use too, when things get stressful for me it’s a short walk out to the back deck to look at the lake and allow the trials and tribulations of the day pass away.
The “Almanac” was required reading when I was in college and there have been times when I felt it should be required reading for every high school graduate. If more folks had even a passing familiarity with this book we’d all be better off. Thanks again.