Walking the Streets of America

As a generalization I find Americans more litter-prone than Canadians hence American Cities have more litter. There are several processes at work here.

First smokers seem to treat the outdoors as an ashtray of infinite capacity.

Since most states lack deposits on beverage containers there is no impetus for youth or the homeless to collect empties for their value in redemption. Hence walking most roadways allows the pedestrian to assess the most popular soft drinks and beers in that neighbourhood.

It would seem not everyone subscribes to the virtues of "poop and scoop" laws. Even some who pick up their pet's feces leave the bag behind on a public or private lawn thus defeating the purpose.

Campaigns such as Don't Mess with Texas seem to be slow to catch on. Too many drivers seem to balance the limited chance of being caught or fined with the convenience of opening their vehicle windows and tossing. Orange-clad prison chain-gangs along major highways in States such as Florida are an all-to-common sight. The amount and diversity of the litter such operations collect is staggering.

The state of communities on Reservations on both sides of our border is a sad commentary on their poverty and depression. I distinctly remember pausing on a walk in the Saanich Peninsula of Vancouver Island to photograph Mountains perfectly reflected on a mirror-smooth lake. It was only later I realized I'd also captured a rusting metal bedstead sticking out of the water in the foreground.