Out of Sight, out of Mind...
When you buy a pickup truck, do you also get a license to throw crap away wherever you want to? It almost seems like some drivers think they do. In the almost twenty years I have been driving on public roads, I can remember having my car pelted with empty soda cans, trash paper, even leaves from the beds of pickup trucks in front of me. Here are some highlights:
I'm on M-14, going the normal 75 mph. The guy driving the pickup truck in front of me opens the sliding window and tosses an empty McDonald's cup into the bed. The cup doesn't even hit the bed. It just sails right up from the wind and smacks my car in the windshield! Finally it ends up as yet another piece of trash on our litter-infested highways. Thank you very much.
Same highway, maybe 2 months later. The Ford in front of me is an extended-bed "teeruck" filled with dry leaves. Naturally, the leaves are just heaped in the back. As we drive down the freeway, the wind is blowing the leaves out of both sides of the bed, causing havoc with the cars behind it. Two miles later, there are still leaves blowing out when I finally get pissed off enough and pass. Do you think perhaps Mister Trucker was carrying a load of leaves over to his girlfriend's house so her kids had something to jump in? Maybe they were experimental leaves headed for the leaf lab at the University of Michigan School of Raking...
In both cases, I'm sure the litterbugs knew EXACTLY what was happening, and felt they could clear their consciences (and maybe get out of a ticket) if they pretended to be COMPLETE MORONS instead of litterbugs. Well, boys, in both cases yours-truly fired up the ol' cell phone and made a quick report to the State Police. Guess what? Being a moron doesn't get you out of a ticket and fine! As a matter of fact, being a moron actually HELPS you get said ticket and fine! If it's in your truck and flies out of your truck, no matter if it's a twig or the twins, it is still your responsibility.
I encourage everyone to A) not litter, and B) turn in anyone who does. WHO'S WITH ME!?!??
