Seeing Nature Through Other People’s Trash

My wife and I enjoy hiking in the nearby mountains, and along the river that flows through the city, and along the sidewalks of our small town. The mountain trails are preferable because they are not paved. The trails along the river have recently begun to be paved (much to our disappointment) but is still enjoyable, and of course our towns sidewalks are made of concrete (hard on the feet and back), not quite as enjoyable but we get to walk along a road alongside a canal that has not been paved.

We try to walk a minimum of 10 miles a week, a loosely adhered to goal chosen because it is a round number and it is very attainable. Sometimes we actually are able to get in a few more miles, but not often. I know it isn't very much of a goal but with full time work and our hands full maintaining a 30+ year old house and our growing garden, we find time when we can. We enjoy it most when our grand kids and their parents are able to come along with us.

Over the years we have always found a certain level of trash thrown along the trail side and roads, but it seems lately that the trash problem is getting worse. There is simply more of it and in places we did not use to see it. The vast majority of what we find, as you may imagine, is in town and it consists mostly of fast food wrappers and cups. I don't know if people are thinking it's okay to toss this stuff out their window because its all bio-degradable or what, but, it is not okay.

Another, more disgusting, habit we are finding is pet owners allowing their pets to do their business and then just leaving it there. I know it's not pleasant to pick up after your dog, but why leave it there for someone else to deal with? That is just so not neighborly. Despite the signs, the doggy-poo bag dispensers people still allow their pets to 'dump freely'. And the worst of these people allow their pets to do it right on the trail. I mean, come on, have some courtesy!

The occasional diaper is even beginning to show its disgusting self. What are these people thinking?

We try to pick up after others for the sake of the environment and the general aesthetics of the view but some things we just refuse to handle.

I've never been able to figure out why some people think we live in a trash can?