Letter to the Editor
Trash morons
Published Sunday, May 25, 2008
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To the editor:
Today I spent the afternoon with my daughter, picking up trash in the Johnson Road/Salcha Star area of Salcha. We filled eight bags of beer cans, fast food bags, soda bottles, and a whole lot more. We had fun doing this together.
Several hours later, I took my truck back along our path and loaded up the yellow bags we had left along the road. Between the time we finished, and the time I went back, some moron threw a Wendy’s bag onto the road, and perhaps it was some other moron who threw out the empty pack of smokes. With a street lined with yellow bags, could these people not see that someone had just taken the time to clean up the trash that people can’t dispose of properly?
I hope this person or people know me, and I hope they read this, and I hope the next time they see my little girl they notice the scratches on her arms and legs from climbing in and out of the ditches to pick up the aforementioned mess!
If they’re too simple-minded to know where trash goes, perhaps I could tell them where to put it.
Community Discussion
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Lori,
Did you pick up the trash just to complain? Is this the first time you have done this? If Fairbanks is like any other U.S.A. town it won't take long to have more trash on the road side.
You can elimate the scaratches on your childs legs and arms if you have the "little" girl wear long sleeves, and long pants for such tasks, oh, and don't forget the sunblock. Making children miserable isn't fun now is it? Hope you didn't call people who litter MORON'S in front of you "little girl"......we want to set a good example with our verbal actions in front of our children. (they are smart enough to pick up on what is happening) You have yourself a great day while mending from the scratches!
Fairbanks is not like any other town--it is far more trashier than most I have visited or lived in. And it is too bad that people like Echo317 accept the mess, and chastise others who are more concerned with the issue.
Normally I am not a mean persson but it is people like echo317 that have lost touch with reality that tick me off. Echo317, Lori and her daughter picked up trash to help the city and the enviroment. By doing so her daughter was scratched by whatever. Fairbanks is a pretty nasty place, in terms of trash, after breakup season. We are lucky enough to have people like her to get out and make this place beautiful again. You know what they say about common sense...... You can sit back and relax as other people make YOUR city suitable to live in!
Lori,
Thanks for your hard work for the community.
Echo317,
Thanks for wasting bandwidth.
let's see , the one who is wasting bandwidth is echo 317!!!
as I read it is your lazy ***, is sitting in front of your computer while there are good people trying to Make this suitable place to live and with your attitude there not doing it for you, but in reality they are cause your sitting on your ***!!!! Instead of wasting your time complaing, get off your bum and do something to help!!!!!
thank you Lori in Salcha...take care of that girl......
echo317, Perhaps it was you who threw the empty pack of smokes out the window,also the Wendy's bag. Kudos to Lori and her daughter. If only we had more people like you in this world it would be a cleaner, nicer place to live.
From what I see driving around, its the lack of secure garbage loads that is contributing most to the garbage problem...Im not condoning it, but a pack of cigs here or there doesnt compare to whole bags of trash falling out of people's vehicles, namely, pickups with a pile of unsecured trash in the bed...is there a city or borough ordinance addressing this issue? or not?
We have litter laws in place. If you see someone litter, start turning them in. Yes when I go to other areas around Alaska and see how clean they stay during the year. I have to wonder why Fairbanks seems so bad? Well Turn them in. Lets send a signal to everyone. Even the truckers with plastic wrap all over their loads, flapping in the wind. By all means the bums that just dump their full bags of trash on the road side. Turn them in and fine them. Maybe that would help get the message out.
gosh echo, did you hear the resounding echo back at you?
What the heck? Echo made some darn valid points:
-protect your kids
-set a good example for them
The bandwagon's already a little crowded this morning.
We need more Lori Lovans in the FNSB and we don't need people like echo317 wasting our air and bandwidth. I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck "echo" thinks taking out the trash means opening the car window and hucking the waste out. And, yes, Fairbanks is the trashiest place in the country I've ever been (and I've been all over); only places worse were overseas. Unsecured loads do contribute to the problem some but the fast food trash and plastic drink bottles are totally out of control. Seems to me there are trash receptacles in front of virtually every store around, there are transfer sites every few miles, and you've even got trash cans at home. It's easy to grab a burger, eat it on the way to the next store (shouldn't be eating & driving but what else are drive-thrus for?), gather up the trash on the floor of the car, and deposit it in the trash can so graciously provided by that store. WAY SIMPLE, FOLKS!
So why do you HAVE to litter?? Laziness and stupidity are two things that come to mind. . . .
By the way, I forgot to mention: don't expect the cops or "gubbmint" to fix the problem. Yeah, we have anti-littering laws but do you REALLY think the cops have the time or manpower to chase litterers if they can't even help a person who has been robbed and KNOWS where the culprit is???? I picked up after and followed the guy who dumped his trash out the window on my road - right to his place of work and walked in, handed it to him, and suggested politely that he NOT do it again. One of his co-workers applauded. (And you know who you are.)
Pile on!
echo317, have you ever picked up other peoples trash? If not than you will never understand the righteousness of those that do.
After careful analysis and years of picking up trash I find the patterns a fascinating anthropological study. While unsecured loads are certainly a contributer the number of empty cigarette packs and butts, beer and liquor containers, and caffeinated energy drinks are huge. These items are clearly and consciously (maybe maliciously) tossed out the window. Littering reflects an attitude problem and shows a lack of respect for your neighbors and fellow citizens.
Moron is not strong enough of an epithet, but much more acceptable to teach to your children than more colorful forms that are more appropriate.
AKHusky- I too have been to small towns and cities all over this nation at all different times of the year and Fairbanks is by far the city with the most litter. It is embarrassing when my family and friends visit from the lower 48 and they see the mess we live in. What can we do to change the mindset of the people that litter? Can we enforce the laws? I like the way endotheroad handled the situation, but I am never lucky enough to catch someone in the act.
Do like tok, Post the names of the people that you see dumping. Shame them.
You can get scratches and bumps and bruises even while wearing long sleeve shirts and pants. Teaching your daughter the value of cleaning up your "world" is honorable. Children know worse terms then "moron" and "slobs" for that matter. I am also confidant that her mother would take the time to look the words up in the dictionary. Providing a valuable lesson about our language.
I have lived in the "ghetto" and I have seen trashy places. The first thing I noticed about Fairbanks was the "dirty" look it had.
Maybe the first thing that should happen when someone commits a crimes is beautification of the city. I don't see enough men and women on the side of the roads cleaning up. However I see DUI's almost everyday in the "Public Safety Report". Have the criminal population of Fairbanks be responsible for cleaning it up.
Lori- Hats off to you for cleaning up and being a good parent.
I certainly appreciate the efforts of people who pick up garbage all through the interior. It doesn't matter if "just like the rest of the U.S.A" litter accumulates, it's still annoying.
I am new to Fairbanks/North Pole, and to have lived in Alaska most of my life from Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Anchorage, Palmer, and now up to North Pole, it's sad to see how little people care about the area that they live in. Is it REALLY that hard to take your trash to provided trash cans and dumpsters, or are you too lazy and your only option is to chuck your trash out the window. It's humorous how lazy people can be.
ARMY WIFE - You hit a home run with that one! Instead of three days in jail, (or home in some cases), the litter patrol would be ideal.
Stop complaining already. This is a free country and if you want to clean liter than do it, but know that it does not make you better or smarter than some one with something better to do on that day. Littering is human nature, deal with it. And by the way, subjecting your child to the hazards associated with roadside litter patrol was your choice.
More people should follow Lori's lead and pick up trash. Shame on those that litter and make the beautiful town that Fairbanks is look trashy.
roadtrip...Why don't you go on a long roadtip out of Fairbanks!
roadtrip sounds like echo317's relative. lol
"Littering is human nature"?
LOLOLOL - that's just classic. "Human nature", really? Someone needs to learn a little about what "human nature" means.
But speaking of nature, thanks to Lori and her family for taking the time to clean up the mess that is Fairbanks once spring arrives. After moving here 2 years ago from NY (that's state, not city) I was amazed at the sheer volume of trash that littered the roads in Fairbanks.
As for echo - "Wha?" Can someone translate that into English for me?
Lori thank you for your efforts in making Fairbanks look alot better. My husband and I along with our 2 kids decided that we was going to go camping over this weekend and when we got to the flats by the lake we realized that before we could set up camp we had to pick up other peoples garbage, which is a shame because thats a beautiful place down in there. We picked up dirty diapers,beer cans and garbage along with a MILLION SHOT GUN SHELLS! Its fine if people want to shoot down there, its better then shooting in the community's but PICK UP YOUR BULLETS...its a real eye sore to familys that would like to use the area for something productive like family times camping out or swimming here soon.
roadkill,
maybe littering is "human nature" around your trailer park but for most reponsible people it is a blemish on a community.
you should be thanking these people for cleaning up and the young lady was in fact injured, you seem cold and uncaring and it is asy to see why you would in fact be in defence of those that tear down rather than try to keep things nice. opinionated views from such obviously uneducated minds, such a shame.
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Echo317 - it is too bad we have to breathe the same air with you. Thanks for being the first post people will read where you say it is OK to litter. Your house must be a complete pigsty - do you just throw your trash anywhere you live and move about it? Like someone said earlier thanks for wasting bandwidth and the air others breathe! Thank you Lori and your daughter for helping keep AK clean - I will try to do my part too.
Has anyone but me noticed that since Alaska passed the "OPEN CONTAINER" law that there are not fewer DUI'S but there is sure a lot more ditches filled with beer cans? It wasn't like that before the law. Some lawmaker trying to impress his/her constituants and created a monster. It used to be fairly common to see a pickup bed full of beer cans,Not necessarily drinking and driving, but now unless you want to go to jail..Throw them in the ditch!!!
Lori- Thanks for your service and make sure you tell your daughter thank you too. It is amazing to see the difference in how the town looks after 'clean up' day. I'm sorry some uncaaring people had to spoil your feeling of accomplishment. I for one will never forget the '$1000 fine' commercial that played over and over for two years straight. The one with the sandwich, remember?
I used to pick up trash every spring, that all ended 3 years ago. I spent a Saturday morning picking up trash from 8am until noon. Went home for lunch and 20 minutes later, just like Lori said, a fast food bag with all it's waste was sitting in the middle of the road where I had just picked up. That was it for me. I have lived in North Pole/Fairbanks for quite a while, and it is only getting worse. Where I live and walk my dog, there must be over 500 Budweiser cans, and the person throwing them out, better hope I never see him or her doing so, because they will be returned the hard way.
Wow, an awful lot of righteousness here. So you all are better than people living in trailer parks and those that are "uneducated". OK, its your right to complain, no argument there, but I don't like to listen to sanctimonious people lecture and wave their fingers and go on and on about how I do this and you should do that. Spending an afternoon picking up trash is a noble thing. You let someone ruin it for you by taking the Wendy's bag incident personal. Don't let a few inconsiderate people upset you. Taking events that one has no control over and internalising them is not healthy and it is what made Rosie O'Donnell crazy.
This article was written purely so Lori could brag about her accomplishment. Goodie for you Lori!