Let me rant for two minutes

[GraphiteZen]

Ok. So I'm picking up my mother at the Good Samaritan Cancer Treatment Center in Corvallis (she has been fighting breast cancer for about 9 years and was there for radiation after a double-radical mastectomy right off the bat, years of chemo and radiation, skin grafts, more chemo, then experimental drugs, etc...) At this point her complete chest area is an open sore yet she still has to have radiation... And this lady drives by with her husband and 4 kids in the back with only one window barely cracked open, right in front of the cancer center, looks me right in the eye and tosses a half smoked cigarette onto the parking lot. Right in front of me. With one cracked window, four kids in the car and right in front of a cancer center. So I stop, put my car in neutral the ebrake on, get out and pick up the smoke. I walk with her smoke in hand to where they park and as the husband gets out he's staring at me and I hold up the smoke and ask him if his wife wants it back. Stammer, stammer, well what is it he asks. I tell him his wife dropped it out her window, he says oh well ok... Then as I'm helping my mom into the car he walks by just snearing at me something mean. I should have just knocked him on his ass. Have a little respect. OK I'm done.

[Smj]

Good for you, and hoping for the best for your mother! I smoked for thirty years and hadn't tossed a "Butt" for many many of those years. It disgusts me when I see people (PIGS) toss their butts into the enviroment, as though they live in some OTHER world, where they never notice litter and garbage on the ground.....

Then there's the "Fishermen" that toss butt......

Smj

[IDWITHELD]

What the hell is the matter with people?

Oh I get it. I guess if you have no respect for your body why have any respect for (your) families health and while your at it lets pollute the environment.

You showed great restraint. Plus Taking the butt back to the owner is hella funny!!!

[cubsfan]

Good work. I bet you wanted to put it in their gas tank (once the little ones were out).

[thresher]

IDK im torn with your reaction here. Part of me wants to say good for standing up and letting somebody know how you feel because they should use common sence when it goes to disposing of ones trash. Where on the other hand i have to say. Why the "Holy'er then you attitude?" Why do people feel they have to get off on taking their frustrations out on other people. It would be like me going out to the local mall and confrunting an overweight person and calling them a lard a** while they sit in the line for McDonalds at the food court. And tell them how they should live their lives.

I find it kina consurning that you would confront somebody over this while they obvisuly just dont care. What would you next step have been should things have esculated?

I know, i know... someone being over weight dosent effect others like second hand smoke.

My reaction to this rant is "Come on people live and let live and STOP forceing your beleifs on others."

Just my two cents though so take it for what its worth.

[JustCallMeDave]

Here's my two cents: I'm tired of finding numerous non-biodegradable cigarette butts in the parking lot of where I work, as I take personal ownership of the place and don't like seeing those things littering it up. I also believe that someone has to step up and call people on the way that some will smoke around their kids and force them to breathe in those carcinogenic particles.

Don't get me wrong, though. I have friends who smoke and don't have a problem with them doing that, and when I'm riding in their rig they have the politeness to not choke me out with it.

In short, do whatever the heck you want to with your body but quit subjecting the rest of us with your bad habit.

[iwanttofish]

I once tossed the lit cig that a guy threw out his window back into his car and said here you dropped this, you should have seen him scramble to get it off the floor

[Duckwheat]

I have done the same thing several times for different reasons. The trash factor of throwing your ciggie butt wherever you feel like. They are everywhere. I would like to see about a $1 deposit on each butt.

When I was in my 20's I was following a neighbor down the road towards Evergreen, Colorado. Tosses his beer can out at the stop light. I stop and pick it up. The next light i give it back to him. The fact he was sitting in a convertible Porsche made it easy to just toss it and say it must have been accident that he dropped it.

There are enough sheep in the world..............................

DW

[Emmitte56]

Well now if everyone just "didn't say or do anything" about issues then nothing would change. Everyone moans about stuff...some people accually do things to make changes. The positive thing here is someone stood up when there was a reason to do so...the negative is the other person will look next time before they flick their cig out the window.

I am a firm believer of action and confrontation using respect and honor as a guide. I am not much into the Ostrich mentality.

Cool on the beer can into the Porches (sp).

I am not truely slamming you...just don't care about people that do not make a stand on issues or life. I guess doing nothing is a valid choice as well.... Tight Lines...

[suckerfish]

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

Ok. So I'm picking up my mother at the Good Samaritan Cancer Treatment Center in Corvallis (she has been fighting breast cancer for about 9 years and was there for radiation after a double-radical mastectomy right off the bat, years of chemo and radiation, skin grafts, more chemo, then experimental drugs, etc...) At this point her complete chest area is an open sore yet she still has to have radiation... And this lady drives by with her husband and 4 kids in the back with only one window barely cracked open, right in front of the cancer center, looks me right in the eye and tosses a half smoked cigarette onto the parking lot. Right in front of me. With one cracked window, four kids in the car and right in front of a cancer center. So I stop, put my car in neutral the ebrake on, get out and pick up the smoke. I walk with her smoke in hand to where they park and as the husband gets out he's staring at me and I hold up the smoke and ask him if his wife wants it back. Stammer, stammer, well what is it he asks. I tell him his wife dropped it out her window, he says oh well ok... Then as I'm helping my mom into the car he walks by just snearing at me something mean. I should have just knocked him on his ass. Have a little respect. OK I'm done.

Personally I would have picked up the sig, wrote down the license plate # and called the police to issue a littering citation. If the littering occures near a stream or waterway the fine is around $500.00. Get them in the pocket book.


suckerfish

[Musicman]

I applaude you for doing what was the right thing to do...point out to someone that they were breaking the law by polluting, not to mention the lack of respect the action shows to everyone around. Good for you!
BWT, really irks me to see people driving down the road and see a lit cig or can or bag of McD's garbage come flying out. plain rude~!

[Cornbread]

I hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! hate! when people throw trash especially cigarette butts on the ground. I was a smoker for a few years and I never once tossed one on the deck. If you want to smoke that is your business but don't throw trash on the ground. I can't even begin to describe how much it angers me when people do that. I think it was really cool, what you did. Rock on with that kind of action any time as far as I am concerned. I hate when people buy into the whole non-confrontational let everyone else alone stuff. Since when did it become not OK to stand up for what you believe in? We all live here, we shouldn't just walk on and ignore it when people are being ignorant jerks about a place of which we are all stewards in the larger scheme of things. Any time you want to do that when I'm around I'd have your back for sure.

[Chrome Bumper]

Stinky pigs, at least the filters are cellulose acetate made out of wood and decompose in a few years. Maybe you could have volunteered to throw it away for them while you were in the cancer center.

[fishboys]

Originally Posted by thresher

IDK im torn with your reaction here. Part of me wants to say good for standing up and letting somebody know how you feel because they should use common sence when it goes to disposing of ones trash. Where on the other hand i have to say. Why the "Holy'er then you attitude?" Why do people feel they have to get off on taking their frustrations out on other people. It would be like me going out to the local mall and confrunting an overweight person and calling them a lard a** while they sit in the line for McDonalds at the food court. And tell them how they should live their lives.

I find it kina consurning that you would confront somebody over this while they obvisuly just dont care. What would you next step have been should things have esculated?

I know, i know... someone being over weight dosent effect others like second hand smoke.

My reaction to this rant is "Come on people live and let live and STOP forceing your beleifs on others."

Just my two cents though so take it for what its worth.

Did you miss the part about kids in the car????????? How about letting the kids live smoke free huh???? sounds like a case of live and let die to me.

[rrust1]

Originally Posted by fishboys

Did you miss the part about kids in the car????????? How about letting the kids live smoke free huh???? sounds like a case of live and let die to me.

I cannot believe no one mentioned this before now. What the hell is she doing smoking with kids in the car, the 70's are over, we KNOW smoking causes cancer, developmental disability, asthma and allergies, the list goes on. I don't care if she wants to die young (maybe she can get some life insurance for the kids to go to college with), but for god sakes STOP killing your kids.

I chose to smoke from 18 to 28, but I was an adult. These kids aren't even getting a chance. That is far worse in my mind than the cig butt on the ground.

[thresher]

Hows about the overweight kid whos parent buys them McDonalds. That also will kill them in the end. but i stick to my above point. You dont see me going around yelling at them.

[Hook-Line-N-Sinker]

Originally Posted by thresher

Hows about the overweight kid whos parent buys them McDonalds. But will kill them in the end. but i stick to my above point. You dont see me going around yelling at them.

All I can do is shake my head.......

[fishboys]

Kids can choose a salad or chicken strips or something that is less fattening at McDonald's, they can also choose to exercise . And yes they should be taught to eat healthy, but I didnt know that is what this post was about

Kids cant choose fresh lungs when they are forced to breath in second hand smoke. Pretty simple stuff.

[soulrider]

"what we do and say as parents reflects directly to our children" I dont know who said that, I have seen where people throw stuff out on the ground, and then the kids do it, BUT, I have also seen kids throw stuff on the ground no matter how many times you tell them not to.......my kids do it I dont know where they got it from not me.......but smoking with kids in the car? that is stupidity, throwing a butt on the ground laziness, disrespect for others usually means no self respect. after the things I have seen this weekend and read about today I really think people need to wake up, and learn to be parents. you have to raise your kids NOT just let them grow up. I have three kids and I try my hardest to teach them right from wrong......there is my

[Smoked Salmon]

That reminds me of the time I was driving down the New York Turnpike. My brother and I had just stopped for fastfood, and gotten back on the highway to eat. Shortly we were passed by a car which proceeded to toss an entire bag of fast food waste (wrappers, utensils, cups) out of their window onto the highway. Without a word I floored it, passed them and got in front of them, and my brother tossed his full strawberry shake out the window, over the back of our car, and we both watched it land in the middle of this hosers windshield.

Now, I know in retrospect that it could have caused all sorts of problems, but it was immensely satisfying to do. Now I've grown older though, and would just write down the mile marker, license number, and description and call it in to the non-emergency line.

[GraphiteZen]

It was the offensiveness of the entire act, everything combined that ticked me off. Smoking with the kids in the car, no windows rolled down, in front of a cancer center, tosses the butt out the window looking right at me, it was just sheer arrogance. I figured if you toss a butt out at a cancer treatment center, you're an idiot. If you smoke with your kids in the car, you're and idiot. There is not much I can do about those things but if you toss it out directly in front of me and in my direction you're going to get it handed back to you. Simple. The guy should thank me for being so nice. I certainly wasn't smiling and I certainly didn't walk up like I was ready to retreat at any moment but I was more civil than some would have been.

[Trick]

Great job Zen! You handled that like a champ.

Never smoked a cigarette in my life.....I can't begin to tell you how many thousands of butts I've had to pick up over the years trying to maintain the business that I work for. They are all over our curbs, sidewalks, doorways, flower beds, parking lot......thousands and thousands.

Let me say this softly.....THE WORLD IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL ASHTRAY!

Makes me want to go into their yard and urinate on their favorite rose bush.

[Medics-R-US]

Graphitezen my hats off to you

You showed a lot more restraint than I would have!! I know exactly how and what you were feeling as my mother went through her own battle with breast cancer and won. You should be commended for being a great son and a caring person for your actions.

If you ever need an impartial person to talk to that will understand what your going though then feel free to give me a call. 541-961-4809

For anyone that even thinks that Zen did the wrong thing I have this to say to you. Stop and think about how you would feel if you were in his shoes and someone did something as callus as that right in front of you???

Personaly myself I would have tended to pick up the butt and throw it inside thier vehicle while telling them to have a heart and show some respect for other people and the environment.

Just my

Michael

[rimrock]

Sorry to read about your mom's health struggles...must be really difficult. If it's OK I'll pray for her and your family.

[crazyinoregon]

Originally Posted by thresher

Hows about the overweight kid whos parent buys them McDonalds. That also will kill them in the end. but i stick to my above point. You dont see me going around yelling at them.

i think you are missing the point somewhat. what I hear in this message is as much about the offensive littering. the refrence you are making has nothing to do with littering.

[Joe C]

one thing to kep in mind, a lot of parking lots have a street sweeping service that comes by every so often.. so that butt might have made it in the trash. More than likely though, it ended up in the storm drains only to end up on our beaches.

I was surfing in san diego one time and some euro dude threw his cig butt in the sand right in front of me, I picked it up and told him I'd throw it in the trash for him so that I wouldn't have to swim with it at high tide.

Dude looked pretty embarrassed.

[Iwish]

I can't wait for the day that they install dash cameras in all vehicles as standard equipment for so many reasons. Witness to accidents, thefts, hit and run, so many possibilities. Wouldn't it be cool to have a camera built in to the vehicle with a huge hard drive? Put your memory stick into your dash, download the day's events and turn in all the littering folk doing exactly what it is that you saw. How cool would that be! Driving down a 2 lane road, no passing, and a drunk seems to think that you are doing only 3 miles per hour over the speed limit and that's not fast enough. Download and submit it via internet from the house. Maybe even send it directly from the car someday.

Now I'm sure people out there will find a reason to make this not happen but wouldn't it be cool? I would have to think it would make people think twice before throwing trash out of their vehicle.

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by rimrock

Sorry to read about your mom's health struggles...must be really difficult. If it's OK I'll pray for her and your family.

That would be a wonderful thing. Any support that finds our family at this time would obviously be such a generous gift.