While driving to work this morning, I stopped at a red signal next to an expensive-looking chauffeur driven SUV. A woman and two young children were sitting in the back seat, eating a packet of chips. A few moments later, the lady rolled her window down and threw the empty chips' packet out on the street.
I was speechless with disgust for a few seconds. I then gestured to her with my hand, to show my distaste for what she had done, but she hurriedly looked the other way and pretended to have not noticed me. The car sped away as soon as the light turned green, leaving the empty packet flitting around on the road.
Is it a fundamental flaw in the way we are conditioned, by example, at home or by the people around us? Is it because we are so used to seeing squalor around us, that we have become completely apathetic? Or is it because we have no respect for a law enforcement system that is incapable or doesn't care to penalize offenders? I find it appalling when people throw litter in public places, spit or pee against walls without the slightest bit of hesitation or shame.
When my dad visited Japan many years ago, he took a ride on the Shinkansen. Seated next to him was a little Japanese girl, eating an orange. When she was done, she handed handed over the rinds and seeds to her mother, who put them in her bag (to be discarded later), instead of throwing them under the seat or in the corridor. A friend who lives in Singapore says that heavy fines are levied on those who litter. The same applies to the US. People living in these countries take pride in keeping their surroundings neat and clean.
Ironically, on my travels abroad, I've observed that Indians living in places like the US and Europe do not litter their surroundings at all. If we can toe the line when living in foreign countries, why can't we do the same here? After all, shouldn't we be setting an example for the next generation to follow, instead of teaching them to be litterbugs like us?
Ironically, on my travels abroad, I've observed that Indians living in places like the US and Europe do not litter their surroundings at all. If we can toe the line when living in foreign countries, why can't we do the same here? After all, shouldn't we be setting an example for the next generation to follow, instead of teaching them to be litterbugs like us?
Text © 2012 http://e-pinion.blogspot.in
All pictures have been sourced from Google Images
60 pound fine and I TAKE so much pleasure in handing that Ticket out , I LOVE IT...
ReplyDeleteand you are right indians dont litter but the moment they land in india and out of airport they start it and that too with a a proud feeling ...
Bikram's
Hey, you fine people :) that is so cool!
DeleteThen again, if there were fines for littering in India too, most of our citizens would be cooling their heels in jail.
oh yes usually people learn a lesson pretty fast when money is involved, hot them where it hurts most .. you fine someone some money they will think twice, you try to frighten them with jail and court they will shrug their shoulders and walk away ..
DeleteFine helps especially if they just bought a portion for chips for £1.50 but the fine cost them £60.. OUCHhhhh .. the chips just cost them 61.50 :)
I do support what you say, but here even if heavy fines were laid, people would bribe their way out. Law system aint that great either so they think they can get away with their actions.
ReplyDeleteVery few of us bother about our surroundings and fewer still would go and stop that from happening. Spitting paan on elevators and stairways is so common and India is now a public toilet. It really is sad!
Agree. Paan spit on walls and people peeing in public -- yuck.
DeleteExactly Ash! Our attitude is all it takes to make our country a better place to live!
ReplyDeleteCompletely. There's such a sense of apathy among our citizens.
DeleteWe litter therefore we are. We are therefore we litter.
ReplyDeleteWe can't help it. It is like brushing our teeth.
It won't end soon.
Boy, you sure are optimistic :P ... but you have a point.
DeleteSo true...we are a example of neatness when we are abroad, we behave. But, at home...we still have to conform.
ReplyDeleteYup, very unfortunate. This is the reason I don't enjoy traveling around India... the lack of cleanliness.
DeleteDiscipline comes from either by inheritance from habits tought by elders or by fear of punishment or fine. Indians who stay abroad or in abroad dont litter for fear of fine and by fear of people will directly object to their deed. But when they are back in india they do.as they like as it is common and not bothered. We should teach our kids by following it ourselves and explaining them the benifits of not littering.
ReplyDeleteTrue... negative reinforcement works better on most of us.
Deleteexactly - that same lady will dare not do that abroad! i guess it boils down to that nobody is scared of the law - i gave up on civic sense long back!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. Even I prefer not to throw trash around, but I'm sure I've done it a couple of times without even realizing... its so ingrained in people here.
DeleteAgree 100% with you. At the same time, for certain activities we have no facilities. For example, unless you go to a departmental store, there are no bathrooms for general public. At least, if it is uncontrollable, men can do it against the wall. But what can a woman do?
ReplyDeleteIndians can follow US in this regard. Every gas station (petrol bunk) must have bathroom facilities for both men and women. Why don’t the government enact something similar to this!
You have a fair point, we lack facilities. But even where there are facilities (e.g. public restrooms), they are so dirty and stink so much, that many people prefer to steer clear.
DeleteVery true - in foreign countries, Indians will not litter at all but in our own county, they definitely will! It is a sad state of affairs - I remember I used to collect all my toffee wrappers and put them in my bag and throw them at home...My younger brother on the other hand used to throw them on the road. One day when I scolded him, he asked me, "There are no dust-bins here. I am going to the playground now...If I leave this in my bag, it will be infested by ants." He further went on to say that he did not mind throwing litter in bins but for that, litter-bins needed to be around! In foreign countries, you find a dust-bin at every nook and cranny - here, even people who do not wish to litter, are at times left helpless - carrying litter home is not feasible at all times...
ReplyDeleteTrue.... we lack facilities. All the same, people are so full of apathy, they have stopped caring.
DeleteThis issue bugs me too to no end, Ash! I see young educated mothers who do not stop to teach their little ones not to pluck flowers or litter chocolate wrappers on the road. On the contrary, they themselves set a very bad example.
ReplyDeleteI had addressed similar pet-peeves in my post here:
http://mymaidenattempt.blogspot.in/2012/06/is-kalki-only-hope.html
do read when you can :-)
I will, Uma :) thanks for the link!
DeleteTrue true true...was thinking about the same thing on the wknd. People who litter the roads, would they let their beds be like that? Or kitchen be like that? I have seen with my eyes...people who travelled with me, just threw stuff out of the car as soon as they landed in India? I wish I was a cop like Bikram. Everyone I know would get a ticket..I hate it when they litter the public places..India should also start penalizing littering in public.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the law here really should. Then again, most of our public will either be paying fines or languishing in jail in their spare time :D
DeleteAgree 100%. You've said everything. Applause! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :)) *takes a bow*
DeleteFirst time its a fine and if repeated i think the punishment is sweeping some public road or something....And yes, cleanliness is built into the minds of people above all the enforcement...In India as you said people consider throwing things on the road as their birth right!Guess we should have a stricter form of enforcement. There are so many unemployed youths in the country. Why not start an enforcement force specifically for cleanliness and hygeine?
ReplyDeleteYup... this is a good point! Make 'em sweep and pick up their rubbish.
DeleteWe are hypocrites Ash. As long as we keep thinking of the roads or public property in general as a dustbin, the situation is not going to change. I just wrote this experience on someone else' blog as well that I am about to share here. I was at a shop and had a banana peel in my hand. I asked the guy where is dustbin and he said "bahar fenk dijiye". I said "aapki dukan ke aage fenk deti hun" and gave him a broad smile. He was stunned. I was so pissed off at the guy at that time.
ReplyDeleteGood job :D glad you gave it right back to him.
DeleteSo true Ash ..
ReplyDeleteI feel we need to change as individuals .. A sense of social responsibility should come from within rather than being enforced from outside .. For my part, I never litter the roads and don't allow my friends to do it either ..
But sadly the majority in our country treat the roads for a dump yard .. So probably enforcement in the form of strict laws will change our thinking and practices ..
True.... but cops will have to follow through and arrest litterbugs.
Deletewell, there is one thing which we Indians lack a lot is called "CIVIC SENSE" and unless that happens nothing is going to improve....:(
ReplyDeletemoreover we always condemn western culture for all evils but never bother to learn certain things which makes them a good citizen....!!
Very well said, Irfan ji... we can certainly learn a fair few things from the West.
DeleteAbsolutely true, Ash! Even traffic offenders, there are these folks who will barge in their car and stop traffic on both sides like idiots. And, when you want to show your dismay, they will never make eye contact. Such scum, I feel like physically beating them up. And littering is so crazy and prevalent.
ReplyDeleteI know... can't stand traffic offenders too... they think they own the road... especially those who want to turn right at a signal, but will stand and wait on the extreme left, and then block traffic while inching to the right.... you get the point :/
DeleteI know. And what we are taught at school contradicts what we see around us.
ReplyDeleteWe're taught not to litter for twelve consecutive years at school, yet we fail to internalize it. There's a glaring loophole somewhere here and we can't place it yet.
That's what... we can't place it.
DeleteThey wont litter and deface properties abroad.Apne desh mein hi yeh opportunity hai cause there is no kick on the rear for doing littering.
ReplyDeleteYup, absolutely. No fines, no jail term.
DeleteSorry..erase doing....
ReplyDeleteIgnored :)
DeleteStrangely it is the same kind of people who complain about the dirt most! It is indeed shameful that people driving Honda city, SUVs etc treat the roads as litter bins:(
ReplyDeleteThey are the worst offenders, Rahul ji :(
DeleteI think most Indians are genetically programmed to litter. I have observed it at so many places. The parents will spit and litter and the children learn from their example and thus the chain continues.
ReplyDeleteEducated people living in high rises throw garbage out of the window even when there is a trash collector who comes to the door step everyday.
I believe that the attitude needs to change and heavy fines need to be levied for this to stop.
I remember when we were staying in an apartment building, the woman above would throw her used sanitary napkins out of the window and they'd land on our parapet... despite repeated requests. Everyone would curse her.
DeleteA well needed post and a multi-facted one at that. I wrote a similar post on spitting and through the post I realized it's not as simple as it seems. You can read mine here.
ReplyDelete1. We lack facilities as many have noted above. In the US, its easy to carry around the dog's poop in plastic packets and toss it into the next trash can on the way. You have no idea how many times I have carried chocolate wrappers or banana peels looking for a trash can but failing at it. Private conglomerates like Hiranandanis and Lodhas who set up complete societies ensure cleanliness in their socities, they make sure trash disposal systems are aptly set up but is it then right for the government to sit back and relax that their problem has been taken care of by others? Isn't it their responsibility in fact to ensure a cleaner nation? Public Restrooms across the city charge anywhere from Rs. 2 to Rs.5 at least for upkeep but do they even have clean flowing water or a clean pot?
2. 'Order' missing from Law and Order
As Confused Soul rightly puts it, impose a fine and people would bribe their way out. We love to find loopholes in the system. Restrictive laws have to be enforced and monitoring systems should be in place to make sure they are being enforced without prejudice.
3. Boils down to mentality at the end of the day.
In school we're taught cleanliness is next to Godliness but we also have our elders as our first teachers. What we say is what we learn. Unless and until we pick up after us, our kids have absolutely no hope. I talked about spit-bags in my post, but no amount of counter-measures can change someone's mindset.
Good points Deepa, I'll read your post too.
DeleteYes, it is disgusting to see such behavior! They're just lack common sense, and caring!
ReplyDeleteCompletely.
DeleteVery nice article on social ethics. May I ask for whom though? :)
ReplyDeleteI remember an incident when I was with my friend on a business travel and he became conscious after spitting on the road. He told me later, "I have to think twice before spitting over here. It looks so clean that I don't feel like spitting here".
So I told him, "Dude, India would have been just like this too if people had had a little bit of consideration like you did just now."
We can try to make a conscious effort from our part. The rest, is history :D
So true, Sheldon... :) if only people made the effort. I guess they see so much mess already around them, that they have stopped caring.
DeleteYes, I've noticed that often lately. Put up a sign that says "No trash to be thrown here. 1000 Rs Fine" and you'll see everyone throwing their trash right over there below the signboard. Hehe!
DeleteTrue, I've seen that happening too. People spitting paan exactly where it says "spitting prohibited".
DeleteAsh, ....such lack of sensibilities make our country so dirty and filthy!It is disgusting!Can we really not make an effort to make our environment cleaner/ easier for ourselves..?
ReplyDeleteEven while on the road, despite seeing the red signal at a traffic junction which indicates you to stay put until it turns green, many choose to ignore it and speed away...
Rules are there to make the living more comfortable and organised and hence make life easier. But, these idiots wouldn't understand :((
Great post!!
Yup, no one understands or cares :( traffic offenders are even more annoying than litterbugs.
DeleteI remember that incident when Akshay Kumar stepped out of his car and made a guy pick up the litter thrown on the road. We need more people like that.
ReplyDeleteTrue. At least he has the clout to tell people to pick up after them, if you or I try, no one is likely to listen :P
DeleteI so agree with this! People have no civic sense no matter how rich they are. They take everything for granted.
ReplyDeletelove
http://www.meghasarin.blogspot.in
True. They do.
DeleteAsh,
ReplyDeleteWho bothers? It is an open dumping ground for one and all, educated or not, affluent or not. Pity, isn't it? A few times when I see someone who stops car near a waste bin to throw some empty package or bottle, I make it a point to walk upto them to say thanks. They do get surprised but understand what I mean. I am sure that they will maintain such habit always. I think we all need to raise awareness level for not littering.
Take care
True uncle... best to set a good example.
DeleteExactly! In my college as well, people leave their wrappers where they were seating even when the dustbins are mere 10 steps away. It's annoying and disappointing!
ReplyDelete❤Not Just My Allegories❤
Yeah, sure is annoying... wish people could inherently develop some sort of sense of ownership / responsibility.
Deletewonderful post...cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteCommon issue pointed out yet again by you, in a practical demeanor - thanks Ash. It is annoying when you find people who spit on the road or who throw trash like its their little dustbin. And yes, its ALSO the educated who do that.
ReplyDeleteI hope we can teach the children of tomorrow, a neighbors kid a nephew or niece and also encourage our friends to socially appealing habits. Thats ALL we can do, I have influenced a few, very few.
P/s my handbag is called a trash-pot :D COS, it has ALL that should be taken back home to the bin!
Even if we influence a few people, its an achievement in itself Kappu :) well done.
DeleteEven my bag is a trash can :D
That's a fundamental question that I at least have not been able to solve!! Thanks for pointing it out!!
ReplyDeleteMe neither!
DeleteThere is something I observed at a bus stand; A foreigner was looking for a dustbin as a taxiwala ran along with him asking him to take his taxi; when he realsied what the foreigner was worrying about he said. "give that to me" and he took the trash and said, 'u want dustbin, thiS is dustbin and he threw it away randomly!" thats how we treat our earth and all our providers...as dustbin
ReplyDeleteThat's the attitude most people have, over here :( shameful, to say the least.
DeleteHEy hi ash ..
ReplyDeleteAmazing post ...~
i checked your blog , nd i really liked it ..i am your latest follower !!
Thanks Anu, and for following
DeleteHi Ash,
ReplyDeleteNice post , Yup ..its one of those habbits ..which ppl here in our beloved country thinks they have got freedom and they can do anything ...that comes or they feels doing if it is wrong and in public domain .... basically these habits comes from the parents ..which their children follows and the legacy continues ...on ..
which is pathetic ...I had lots tussles with ppl doing the things ...but recently one uncle was smoking @ stand where i was waiting for my office vehicle ..but instead of not doing it..he said "kya karega mein to yahi pe piyoonga ..." ..It got to my nerves and I said wait ..i will call police they will decide ..how you will stop. And finally he had to quit.
So its hard to understand the nature ..ppl posses and their behavior ...
Yep. Though people do tend to imbibe from what they see happening around them. That's probably why no one cares about littering, here.
DeleteAsh so true. Gud one.!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Deletei hate littering...find it the most annoying thing in Indians...and worst is that people(some of my acquaintances) make fun of me trying to tell them not to litter
ReplyDeletehttp://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in
Yeah, some people think that being a good citizen is a joke!
DeleteWe keep our surroundings clean and not bothered about our home when abroad and when in India, we are concerned only about our houses and not bothered about keeping surroundings clean!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree... not good.
DeleteI'm sorry to disagree with you, BUT Indians DO litter when in other countries* and many westerners, like myself, have witnessed this firsthand. They might look around to check that no one is watching but they do it just the same. It's generally not as bad as India because Westerners, like myself, will clean it up!
ReplyDelete*Countries like UK, USA, Australia and Singapore have all commented on Indian communities where littering occurs frequently. Just check the YouTube videos of such communities. In Singpaore, for example, instead of calling it "Little India" the locals refer to it as "Litter India".
:-(
Delete