Litterbugs spoil
island beauty

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The interior of my car often looks like a rubbish dump, but you won't catch me tossing stuff out the window. The idea of littering, particularly in a beautiful place like Hawaii, is appalling.

Yet I see people slow down on the Pali Highway and eject dirty disposable diapers. I have neighbors who leave beer bottles on curbs and lawns. You'll see rubbish blowing around beach parks, with empty trash cans nearby.

I have a friend who lives next to a city park. She routinely walks right up to litterers and yells at them, telling them they ought to be ashamed of themselves. They should be. She's on track.

The problem is that while these people had "self-esteem" piled on them in school, they were never taught how to behave themselves in public. That includes soiling public places.

Last night I watched in astonishment as a stranger parked in front of my driveway and cleaned his car, using my trash can for his rubbish. At least he wasn't tossing it on the street, so I let it go.

--Burl Burlingame

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