Pick it up or leave it?

[PlantBased]

So that was the question a few years back, after moving into the cheapest home in Charlotte, where it still felt comfortable / safe. The reason was for FI of course. Across from my home was a nice wooded area.  But I soon noticed a distressing fact of living in a lower income part of town.  People would toss their garbage out their car as they drove past, or even dump large items in the woods. 

So after repeatedly driving by, and seeing the garbage I came to the conclusion that it would be better for my mental health to simply pick it up... it was either that or curse the ignorant fools every time seeing it.  I wonder if people who litter ever consider how often they get cursed by people passing their garbage on the side of the road?

So I recently moved to a nicer area out in the country and was surprised to see the exact same behavior.  And again was faced with the same dilemma: pick it up or leave it?  So I started to think about karma, and how it works.  And what if picking up that garbage along the side of the road was in reality just like putting $250 into your spiritual bank account.  Would you pick it up, if it that were a known fact?  So much wealth is there for our taking but we don't see it.  Now, I know some scoff at the idea - collecting good and bad karma - unfortunates souls that they are.  And likely they leave this world physically rich, but spiritually bankrupt.

A short story: once a man dug up a chest when building his home, and inside were two silver coins and the rest was filled with charcoal.  A wise man lived in a nearby village, some even called him a saint.  So when the opportunity came the man asked the wise man about the chest and what it meant.  The Saint said, "that in your life you were destined to come into wealth, and were to find a chest filled with gold.  But owing to certain unsavory or even nasty habits the gold started turning into silver and finally charcoal.  You were meant to be rich."

[Car Jack]

I've seen stories a couple of times where people who own rural land that get dumped on have tracked down whoever it was that dumped it, loaded it on their trailer (all the trash....not just whatever the caught person dumped), drove to the culprit's home and dumped it on their lawn.

[SunnyDays]

While I don’t have the ability to cart off large pieces, I usually pick up litter when I come across it, generally while walking the dog.  Passers by see this and some have commented on it and I like to think it sets a good example for others.  People are more likely to dump garbage in an area that already contains it. so cleaning up actually reduces the probability of littering.  It does anger me though.  Just saw a pile of cigarettes butts beside the community mail boxes the other day - I didn’t think anyone did that anymore.  Not to mention the mail carrier, who just drops the elastic bands on the ground.

[terran]

I can't really get there with you on the whole karma thing, but if it makes you happy to think that then go forth. To add to what SunnyDays said about removing the garbage possibly reducing future dumping: there was a study done where they left a nice car in a bad neighborhood for awhile and nothing happened. Then they went back and broke a window and left the car again and in short order it was stripped and trashed. I think there are also similar studies with breaking one window in a building and it subsequently having the rest of the windows broken. I think it's called the broken windows theory or something like that. Basically, if it's obvious that no one cares about the property then people will think it's ok to disrespect the property.

[SunnyDays]

Yes, there are other examples of this approach I’ve seen too.  There was a video of an area in a foreign country (I won’t name it), where people routinely threw their garbage right into the street outside their homes, and since there didn’t seem to be any garbage service, it just continued to accumulate.  Then someone did an experiment and removed the garbage, painted the fence it all sat against and put out some potted flowers.  The local people stopped dumping their garbage there.  Like magic.

[crocheted_stache]

Time and safety permitting, I pick up smaller trash when I see it and report larger stuff to the city. It's not about karma so much as caring for the environment and community.

Also, trash attracts trash. If you can keep an area clean, you can sometimes discourage further dumping.

[PlantBased]

Some really interesting reply's here. 

A key point of the post, but maybe not worded the best, is the change in how I view litter near my home.  In the past thoughts would have been tied closer to irritation, but now it's starting to feel more like an opportunity.  It's been a gradual change toward "right understanding".  I went out for a walk this morning and brought a used plastic shopping bad, and filled it up with trash.  It actually felt quite good:).

Benefits:
1. Add beauty to the neighborhood
2. increase home values
3. The most common littering fee I see is $250, and karma wise it could be a good number to use.
a. From that stand point many toss out their wealth, and it may as well go to someone more deserving (anyone willing to capitalize).
4. It sets a good example for others
5. Seeing litter as an opportunity rather than something negative.  It's little daily things that set the stage for frustration or happiness in life.

[socaso]

My sister lives in a rural area and has had puppies dumped on her property! She was in her yard once and watch a guy drop a puppy out of his truck window. She thought it was trash and went over to pick it up and found the puppy. Lucky for the puppy my sister fosters dogs so she knew just what to do.That puppy ended up in a happy home.

[meandmyfamily]

There is a runner in my neighborhood that picks up trash on every single run.  It just amazes me!

Growing up on a rural road, we had people drop puppies and grown dogs all the time.  It was so sad.

[calimom]

Have you ever read any David Sedaris? He picks up metric tons (tonnes?) of trash near his home in England. He's been recognized by the Queen! Not for his excellent writing...but for picking up trash. and being a good citizen.

Agree: litterbugs and trash dumpers are lame.