http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856 You never know who could be watching you at any given moment. For example, if you pull up into the parking lot of an office building and park in front of a large, mirrored window, you should assume that there is someone sitting on the other side of that window working at their desk. It is also safe to assume that this person is bored out of their mind and just dying for something interesting to look at outside their window. That person could even be me. Actually, if you happen to be one of the two men who pulled their El Camino&nbsp;into the parking space directly on the other side of the window from my desk today, it&nbsp;was me.&nbsp;I was watching you from the minute you parked. The first thing I noticed was that&nbsp;the car did not seem to be very clean. This is Bakersfield, however. Dirty cars are a given, especially after the light, misty spray that occurs on rare occasions, which some people call &quot;rain&quot;. Since it nearly rained a couple days ago, I gave the dirty car a pardon. But when the two men climbed out, each holding a Styrofoam cup the size of a gallon of milk, my attention was caught. I happen to be the unfortunate individual who has been charged with informing patients that they must leave their drinks and food outside. And so,&nbsp;I noted the huge drink cups and hoped they were empty, which they were. This fact was immediately apparent when the two men took a final slurp from their straws and proceeded to toss the cups into&nbsp;the lovely flower bed outside my window. I drew in my breath in outrage. How dare they! I was so incensed by this that I determined to ask the men when they entered the building to go right back outside and pick up their trash.&nbsp; I thought better of it, though, when I realized that our waiting room was packed with the late-afternoon crowd. It would have been grossly unprofessional of me to pick an argument with the two men in the presence of witnesses. Therefore, I decided to do them and my office a favor by taking care of their trash for them. Outside I went, without a word to the slobs (although, I must admit, I threw them a glare as I passed). I picked up the Styrofoam cups from the flower bed and deposited them into the nearest trash receptacle...or at least, the next best thing. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when those guys found their trash in the back seat of their El Camino. They really should not have left the windows open. This is Bakersfield, after all. Someone could take something out of their car...or in this case, return it to where it belongs. Unfortunately, I am sure the Styrofoam will find its way into someone else's yard. But at least those guys will know that someone was watching them be slobs. You never know who could be watching you at any given moment. For example, if you pull up into the parking lot of an office building and park in front of a large, mirrored window, you should assume that there is someone sitting on the other side of that window working at their desk. It is also safe to assume that this person is bored out of their mind and just dying for something interesting to look at outside their window. That person could even be me. Actually, if you happen to be one of the two men who pulled their El Camino&nbsp;into the parking space directly on the other side of the window from my desk today, it&nbsp;was me.&nbsp;I was watching you from the minute you parked. The first thing I noticed was that&nbsp;the car did not seem to be very clean. This is Bakersfield, however. Dirty cars are a given, especially after the light, misty spray that occurs on rare occasions, which some people call &quot;rain&quot;. Since it nearly rained a couple days ago, I gave the dirty car a pardon. But when the two men climbed out, each holding a Styrofoam cup the size of a gallon of milk, my attention was caught. I happen to be the unfortunate individual who has been charged with informing patients that they must leave their drinks and food outside. And so,&nbsp;I noted the huge drink cups and hoped they were empty, which they were. This fact was immediately apparent when the two men took a final slurp from their straws and proceeded to toss the cups into&nbsp;the lovely flower bed outside my window. I drew in my breath in outrage. How dare they! I was so incensed by this that I determined to ask the men when they entered the building to go right back outside and pick up their trash.&nbsp; I thought better of it, though, when I realized that our waiting room was packed with the late-afternoon crowd. It would have been grossly unprofessional of me to pick an argument with the two men in the presence of witnesses. Therefore, I decided to do them and my office a favor by taking care of their trash for them. Outside I went, without a word to the slobs (although, I must admit, I threw them a glare as I passed). I picked up the Styrofoam cups from the flower bed and deposited them into the nearest trash receptacle...or at least, the next best thing. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when those guys found their trash in the back seat of their El Camino. They really should not have left the windows open. This is Bakersfield, after all. Someone could take something out of their car...or in this case, return it to where it belongs. Unfortunately, I am sure the Styrofoam will find its way into someone else's yard. But at least those guys will know that someone was watching them be slobs. en-us Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:25:43 PDT <p>I&nbsp;am waiting to catch in the act one of the thousands of slobs who think shopping carts are trash receptacles.&nbsp;</p> <p>There are times when I&nbsp;have to search deep into a train of parked shopping carts at a supermarket&nbsp;before I&nbsp;can find one that does <em>not</em> have cupcake wrappers, half-eaten ice cream cones, or other recently used food wrappings rotting inside it.</p> <p>I'm going to catch you, you slovenly pigs.&nbsp; One of these days.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409867 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409867 <p>I&nbsp;am waiting to catch in the act one of the thousands of slobs who think shopping carts are trash receptacles.&nbsp;</p> <p>There are times when I&nbsp;have to search deep into a train of parked shopping carts at a supermarket&nbsp;before I&nbsp;can find one that does <em>not</em> have cupcake wrappers, half-eaten ice cream cones, or other recently used food wrappings rotting inside it.</p> <p>I'm going to catch you, you slovenly pigs.&nbsp; One of these days.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: medium">Since&nbsp;my childhood I always&nbsp;hated litter.&nbsp; Guess those commercials with the crying Indian [ Sorry, Native American ] sank in so much, that I will put a scrap of paper in my pocket until I can find a trash can [ I apologize again,&nbsp;recycling receptacle for paper products ].&nbsp; Any hoo, sometimes there are people in fast food restaurants that think their mother works&nbsp;there [ Then again maybe&nbsp;she does ,but I wouldn't treat my mom like that. ]</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: medium">and just leave there mess for someone else to clean up.&nbsp; I was pleasantly surprised when a friend and I where at the down town Sequoia Sandwich yesterday searching for a table.&nbsp; A gentlemen was just vacating one and not only did he take his trash with him; but&nbsp;he also&nbsp;wiped the table off with a napkin;)</span> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409875 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409875 <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: medium">Since&nbsp;my childhood I always&nbsp;hated litter.&nbsp; Guess those commercials with the crying Indian [ Sorry, Native American ] sank in so much, that I will put a scrap of paper in my pocket until I can find a trash can [ I apologize again,&nbsp;recycling receptacle for paper products ].&nbsp; Any hoo, sometimes there are people in fast food restaurants that think their mother works&nbsp;there [ Then again maybe&nbsp;she does ,but I wouldn't treat my mom like that. ]</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: medium">and just leave there mess for someone else to clean up.&nbsp; I was pleasantly surprised when a friend and I where at the down town Sequoia Sandwich yesterday searching for a table.&nbsp; A gentlemen was just vacating one and not only did he take his trash with him; but&nbsp;he also&nbsp;wiped the table off with a napkin;)</span> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Obviously, ghostriter, these, uh, people didn't have my mother teaching them how to dispose of waste paper and the like.&nbsp; Even gum wrappers were to deposited into pockets or purses in the absence of a proper waste receptacle.&nbsp; I don't know how many times my mother used her purse for waste paper, but it was not until we got home that she would empty her purse of all&nbsp;our accumulated &quot;trash.&quot;&nbsp;</p> <p>When I was little, it was unheard of for my parents to &quot;drink and drive&quot;&nbsp; -- and I mean drink anything!&nbsp; I cannot remember a time we ever drank anything in the car unless we were at one of the drive-ins where there was actual curb service.&nbsp; At those times, when finished, the glass bottles were returned to the tray, the tray was picked up, and away we went, happy as clams.&nbsp; I still remember the name of the drive-in:&nbsp; Jordan's.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have no idea when it apparently became the vogue to be slovenly slobs.&nbsp; If not the vogue, it is at the very least unremarkable behavior.&nbsp; More's the pity.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409877 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409877 <p>Obviously, ghostriter, these, uh, people didn't have my mother teaching them how to dispose of waste paper and the like.&nbsp; Even gum wrappers were to deposited into pockets or purses in the absence of a proper waste receptacle.&nbsp; I don't know how many times my mother used her purse for waste paper, but it was not until we got home that she would empty her purse of all&nbsp;our accumulated &quot;trash.&quot;&nbsp;</p> <p>When I was little, it was unheard of for my parents to &quot;drink and drive&quot;&nbsp; -- and I mean drink anything!&nbsp; I cannot remember a time we ever drank anything in the car unless we were at one of the drive-ins where there was actual curb service.&nbsp; At those times, when finished, the glass bottles were returned to the tray, the tray was picked up, and away we went, happy as clams.&nbsp; I still remember the name of the drive-in:&nbsp; Jordan's.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have no idea when it apparently became the vogue to be slovenly slobs.&nbsp; If not the vogue, it is at the very least unremarkable behavior.&nbsp; More's the pity.</p> <p>I believe education and pride&nbsp;has a lot to do with this phenomenon. When we go to parts of Southern California where the education level is high, the town looks pretty good. I was pulling out of the drive thru at McDonald's the other day and the car ahead of me threw things out of the window all the way to the end of the drive thru lane. I was so mad!!!!! I am like the previous post, I will stash stuff in my purse until I find a proper disposal place for it.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409881 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409881 <p>I believe education and pride&nbsp;has a lot to do with this phenomenon. When we go to parts of Southern California where the education level is high, the town looks pretty good. I was pulling out of the drive thru at McDonald's the other day and the car ahead of me threw things out of the window all the way to the end of the drive thru lane. I was so mad!!!!! I am like the previous post, I will stash stuff in my purse until I find a proper disposal place for it.</p> <p>girlsmom:&nbsp; Education and pride have everything to do with it.&nbsp; You're right!</p> <p>There's the matter, too, of public washrooms.&nbsp; One must wonder if people leave their own places the way they do public places.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409883 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409883 <p>girlsmom:&nbsp; Education and pride have everything to do with it.&nbsp; You're right!</p> <p>There's the matter, too, of public washrooms.&nbsp; One must wonder if people leave their own places the way they do public places.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>girlsmom, I also agree that education and pride are main factors in people who DON'T LITTER.</p> <p>Being a Scout Leader for several years, I've hauled a lot of boys, a lot of miles in my car/truck. I have 157 boys, and they'll all tell you that if something flies out the window of my vehicle, it causes the breaks to lock up and the transmission to go into reverse. The passenger's door also flies open and the guilty party is jettisoned and required to retrieve the article...........lol</p> <p>Needless to say, people don't throw trash out of MY vehicle but once. They learn really quick.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409893 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409893 <p>girlsmom, I also agree that education and pride are main factors in people who DON'T LITTER.</p> <p>Being a Scout Leader for several years, I've hauled a lot of boys, a lot of miles in my car/truck. I have 157 boys, and they'll all tell you that if something flies out the window of my vehicle, it causes the breaks to lock up and the transmission to go into reverse. The passenger's door also flies open and the guilty party is jettisoned and required to retrieve the article...........lol</p> <p>Needless to say, people don't throw trash out of MY vehicle but once. They learn really quick.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Good post. Let's call out the slobs in store parking lots. It makes really sick to see how disgusting people are when it comes to throwing trash all over the damn place. Especially when trash cans are only a few feet away!!!! AGHH!!!!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://vocalminority.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54f8c22b7883401156e531c61970c-pi" alt="" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409904 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409904 <p>Good post. Let's call out the slobs in store parking lots. It makes really sick to see how disgusting people are when it comes to throwing trash all over the damn place. Especially when trash cans are only a few feet away!!!! AGHH!!!!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="http://vocalminority.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54f8c22b7883401156e531c61970c-pi" alt="" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Umm, I gotta go clean out my capri pockets now - I have a collection (as always) of stuff that needs to go into the trash. Sometimes my pockets are bulging!</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409916 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409916 <p>Umm, I gotta go clean out my capri pockets now - I have a collection (as always) of stuff that needs to go into the trash. Sometimes my pockets are bulging!</p> <p>True story.&nbsp; Not a good lead but it's late.&nbsp; About a year ago I was at my every morning hangout waiting for the tide to change or the wind or something, when we&nbsp; witnessed a couple with a large German Shepard walking through the parking lot.&nbsp; The dog did his business on the pavement right where cars drive and we walk.&nbsp; One of our group took them a bag and said they should clean it up. The female said she did not pick up dog shit.&nbsp; They walked on toward the pier.&nbsp; I took the bag, picked up the poop and put it on their windshield against&nbsp; their wiper blades.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hope they needed to turn them on before they saw my gift.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409920 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409920 <p>True story.&nbsp; Not a good lead but it's late.&nbsp; About a year ago I was at my every morning hangout waiting for the tide to change or the wind or something, when we&nbsp; witnessed a couple with a large German Shepard walking through the parking lot.&nbsp; The dog did his business on the pavement right where cars drive and we walk.&nbsp; One of our group took them a bag and said they should clean it up. The female said she did not pick up dog shit.&nbsp; They walked on toward the pier.&nbsp; I took the bag, picked up the poop and put it on their windshield against&nbsp; their wiper blades.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hope they needed to turn them on before they saw my gift.</p> <p>lol tony...</p> <p>wayfarer...relax. No P.C. requirement here. ;P</p> <p>AD...I forgot about the grocery carts. Not only are they a mess, but people seem to be allergic to the cart racks at the end of every aisle in the parking lot. Instead, the carts are left all over the lot to bang into whatever car looks good to them.</p> <p>anglo...LOVE it....</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409921 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409921 <p>lol tony...</p> <p>wayfarer...relax. No P.C. requirement here. ;P</p> <p>AD...I forgot about the grocery carts. Not only are they a mess, but people seem to be allergic to the cart racks at the end of every aisle in the parking lot. Instead, the carts are left all over the lot to bang into whatever car looks good to them.</p> <p>anglo...LOVE it....</p> <p>So Cal seems to be much dirtier than other places I've lived.&nbsp; You look on the streets and freeways and it is covered with iitter.&nbsp; Nothing pisses me off more than some yahoo throwing out trash (even a cigarette butt) out of their window with no remorse.&nbsp;&nbsp;I've seen whole sacks of fastfood getting tossed right out the window while cruising down the road.</p> <p>I once saw a couple take two drink cups out of their vehicle and set them&nbsp;gently on the side walk in front of a store.&nbsp; The trash can was located just another 5' away from them.&nbsp; I had my son so I was nice and asked '&nbsp;couln't you just put that in the trash can?' to which&nbsp;I&nbsp;got the 'you're number 1 finger' with a 'go #$%# yourself'.&nbsp; The couple were in their late 30s.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm with girlsmom and tonyh.&nbsp; Education, community pride and self respect has a lot to do with the standards we are willing to live by.&nbsp; By&nbsp;the looks of our street, we are a bit low on any / all three.&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409939 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_409939 <p>So Cal seems to be much dirtier than other places I've lived.&nbsp; You look on the streets and freeways and it is covered with iitter.&nbsp; Nothing pisses me off more than some yahoo throwing out trash (even a cigarette butt) out of their window with no remorse.&nbsp;&nbsp;I've seen whole sacks of fastfood getting tossed right out the window while cruising down the road.</p> <p>I once saw a couple take two drink cups out of their vehicle and set them&nbsp;gently on the side walk in front of a store.&nbsp; The trash can was located just another 5' away from them.&nbsp; I had my son so I was nice and asked '&nbsp;couln't you just put that in the trash can?' to which&nbsp;I&nbsp;got the 'you're number 1 finger' with a 'go #$%# yourself'.&nbsp; The couple were in their late 30s.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm with girlsmom and tonyh.&nbsp; Education, community pride and self respect has a lot to do with the standards we are willing to live by.&nbsp; By&nbsp;the looks of our street, we are a bit low on any / all three.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will occassionally pick up after my kids around the house if my nagging doesn't get them to do it first.</span></span>&nbsp; <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">When</span></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I say &quot;pick up&quot; I don't mean put it or throw it away.&nbsp; I round it all up and gently place it on their pillows on their beds....</span></span></p> <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410087 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410087 <p><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I will occassionally pick up after my kids around the house if my nagging doesn't get them to do it first.</span></span>&nbsp; <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">When</span></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I say &quot;pick up&quot; I don't mean put it or throw it away.&nbsp; I round it all up and gently place it on their pillows on their beds....</span></span></p> <br /> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">I am a stickler for not trashing the environment I live in. A lesson from Girl Scouts that stayed with me.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I smoked ,I'd even but the butts in my coin pocket of my jeans till I was near a trash bin. The butts would still &quot;live on&quot; forever but at least it would go to the proper place.</span></p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410094 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410094 <p><span style="font-size: medium;">I am a stickler for not trashing the environment I live in. A lesson from Girl Scouts that stayed with me.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I smoked ,I'd even but the butts in my coin pocket of my jeans till I was near a trash bin. The butts would still &quot;live on&quot; forever but at least it would go to the proper place.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I won't throw my butts out the window.&nbsp; I either put them in my ash tray or in an empty soda can.</span></span></p> <br /> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410099 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410099 <p><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I won't throw my butts out the window.&nbsp; I either put them in my ash tray or in an empty soda can.</span></span></p> <br /> <p>On a school club field trip to Death Valley each kid was given a botle of water on the way out on the hike.&nbsp; When they got back each kid had to turn in their empty bottle.&nbsp; Or show the one they hadn't finished.&nbsp; I was pleased to hear that story as it's the beginning of an education we hope will last a lifetime.</p> <p>Daughter has friends in AR and back there people routinely chuck litter onto the roads and highways.&nbsp; She said they did it here and she nailed them...told them about the fine.&nbsp; Apparently around her now the word is &quot;Don't let Deb catch you throwing trash out the window.&quot;</p> <p>They don't want trash in their cars, why would they want it on the roadsides they drive by?&nbsp; I&nbsp;really don't get it.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410101 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410101 <p>On a school club field trip to Death Valley each kid was given a botle of water on the way out on the hike.&nbsp; When they got back each kid had to turn in their empty bottle.&nbsp; Or show the one they hadn't finished.&nbsp; I was pleased to hear that story as it's the beginning of an education we hope will last a lifetime.</p> <p>Daughter has friends in AR and back there people routinely chuck litter onto the roads and highways.&nbsp; She said they did it here and she nailed them...told them about the fine.&nbsp; Apparently around her now the word is &quot;Don't let Deb catch you throwing trash out the window.&quot;</p> <p>They don't want trash in their cars, why would they want it on the roadsides they drive by?&nbsp; I&nbsp;really don't get it.</p> <p>Back east, the edge of the turnpike is literally covered in cigarette butts. They are piled about two or three inches deep, for MILES! And people think, &quot;Oh, it's just one little ciggy butt....&quot;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410108 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410108 <p>Back east, the edge of the turnpike is literally covered in cigarette butts. They are piled about two or three inches deep, for MILES! And people think, &quot;Oh, it's just one little ciggy butt....&quot;</p> <p>I'm so proud of you ghostriter, the next time I witness a similar slob hopefully I can come up with a such a fantastic solution.&nbsp; Too bad the rear window wasn't open for anglo, the dog&nbsp;&quot;snap&quot; could have been dumped on the back seat and the bag could go in the trash can.&nbsp;</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410125 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/ghostriter/45856/#c_410125 <p>I'm so proud of you ghostriter, the next time I witness a similar slob hopefully I can come up with a such a fantastic solution.&nbsp; Too bad the rear window wasn't open for anglo, the dog&nbsp;&quot;snap&quot; could have been dumped on the back seat and the bag could go in the trash can.&nbsp;</p>