Isn`t it a little bit over the top?

Why is it any different to dropping a chocolate wrapper?

no, its litterbugging all the same - and worse as can cause fire depending on where you drop it.

£5 for every McDonalds wrapper would make the council a fortune

Any chance of hearing from a smoker?

My Brother-in-Law got done in Donny a few weeks ago. Lobbed a cig out of his car window, and received the fine a few days later.

smoker or non smoker doesnt matter, its still chucking litter about and is the same as if you lobbed a plastic bottle out your car or just dropped it to the floor.

Why should we have to walk through your filthy mess.

There was another thread talking about getting some more cig-bins about the place. Fine idea I reckon. At present their just isn't the same 'attitude' about dropping fag ends as there is other litter (ie, many people who do drop fag ends wouldn't dream of dropping other litter).

Must admit that I (as a smoker) am guilty of it. But will always use a bin if there's one nearby...

Until they start enforcing the litter fines about other types of litter, think its a tad rough to go after the smokers...

Originally posted by vanjon
Any chance of hearing from a smoker?
Why? So you can feel vindicated when someone airs a biased view? There should be no 'special dispensation' to drop one form of litter but not others.

Slightly off-topic (and not aimed at you), but I can't stand it when people drop their tab ends and don't stamp them out. A curious toddler could go "Ooooh, what's this?", pick it up and get a nasty burn. Or when people flick them out of car windows, it's not unheard of for them to land in ANOTHER car, whilst still lit.

EDIT - I do of course sympathise in situations where there is little alternative to dropping them. If there are no cigarette bins, you wouldn't exactly want to carry a tab end in your pocket until you found one. I think they should make more effort to provide cigarette bins, BEFORE starting to fine people.

I well and truly learned my lesson about chucking lit tab ends out of the car window when one blew back in and landed on the back seat resulting in a nice big burn.

If I can't find a bin to chuck my tab end in, then I flick it til the burning bit falls out, stamp on it, and just carry the end in my pocket til I do find a bin. I picked up this habit before the fines came in, from spending a lot of time in nice places where I would feel guilty about dropping cig ends.

It does make me laugh though, all these fines imposed for breaches of civil bylaws when seemingly people can get away with genuinely criminal, violent and dangerous behaviour (e.g. fights, road accidents etc) without paying out much more in fines.

Sometimes you see dirty old blokes throwing their fag ends on the floor and stamping on them, when they are inside on a nice new carpet in a pub.

I wonder if these people do the same thing at home? If I were the Landlord and had just had my place done up I would be blowing a gasket if I saw this kind of disrespect, and would certainly have him thrown out and banned.

Originally posted by vanjon
Any chance of hearing from a smoker?

Doesn't make any difference if you are a smoker or not, litter is still litter. I admit I like drinking, so I suppose I mustn't complain about all the broken glass from the teenagers drinking outside last night.

Did I say I was a smoker?
I totally agree with mathom.
The price of a drink in a pub with nice axminsters incorporates renewal costs.
When did you last see a pavement on fire?

I hasten to add, it's just the 'tobacco' bit that I flick on the floor, not the actual tab, as it scatters to the four winds whereas a tab does not.

Broken glass winds me up no end. I got a puncture from it last year. And the next day there was loads of it in the gutter up my road where someone's wheelie bin had blown over and the b*ggers hadn't had the decency to go pick it up.

Originally posted by vanjon
Did I say I was a smoker?
I totally agree with mathom.
The price of a drink in a pub with nice axminsters incorporates renewal costs.
When did you last see a pavement on fire?

I didn't see no smiley after your carpets comments! You must have missed it surely??

I understand Mathoms comments relating to the penalty relating tro other crimes, however i support this and any litter fine. It angers me when bins are close by and people just drop the litter.

Also cigs are stumped out on floors (like carpets) and rested on items (example toilet roll holders in toilets) causing damage!!

but somebody will be out of a job with no litter to clean up :(




lol

Originally posted by melthebell
but somebody will be out of a job with no litter to clean up :(




lol

Terrible pity. Just like those poor stable boys are out of jobs after the prime minister very reluctantly gave in to public pressure and allowed a free vote on banning fox hunting. And just like those poor police officers who will be out of work if the country ever manages to reduce crime. Maybe every time anyone goes to court accused of a crime the court should take into consideration how many jobs would be lost if they lock the perpetrator up so they can't commit more crime. ;)

Originally posted by markwit
My Brother-in-Law got done in Donny a few weeks ago. Lobbed a cig out of his car window, and received the fine a few days later.

I blame the car manufacturers. If only they'd fit some sort of tray to collect the ash and cigarette ends, perhaps somewhere in the dashboard....?

Although, I recall a few years ago some car manufacturer stopped fitting ashtrays into cars. Not sure if it's still the case.

Saying "we shouldn't stop people dropping litter because it will make the road sweepers out of a job." is like saying, "we shouldn't ban guns becuase it will make the gun makers out of a job."
There is no point to litter in the street. It's just the result of sloppy people getting away with being sloppy. It's thier rubbish; they should take the trouble to get rid if it and not blame the council for not pampering to their inability to behave in a clean and proper manner and provide litter bins within arms of the length of the slobs.
If you light a fag you know you are going to have a fag end when you have finished; so plan for it! Carry something to put it in until you get home.

Originally posted by RichD
If there are no cigarette bins, you wouldn't exactly want to carry a tab end in your pocket until you found one. I think they should make more effort to provide cigarette bins, BEFORE starting to fine people.

If you contact the council for a couple of quid they will sell you something called a "stubbie". Its a sort of insulated wallet, you put your tab end in, close it up and then empty it later when you are near a bin. Such newfangled whizzbangery eh?

I like the sound of a 'stubbie', very handy for walks, when it's not always possible even to flick the ember and pocket the end, as if it's dry this could start a fire. But you could also get a little tin, such an empty travel sweets tin, or maybe a Fisherman's Friend tin (and the lozenges will help with the cough ;) ) for free.

My point, not all smokers do drop ends everywhere, it's easy enough to get rid of them wihtout chucking them on the floor.

When are they going to issue on the spot fines for spitting? I have to say, that's ten times more vile than any litter, except maybe a soiled nappy. :gag:

Originally posted by markwit
My Brother-in-Law got done in Donny a few weeks ago. Lobbed a cig out of his car window, and received the fine a few days later.

Excellent, maybe he'll learn to clean up after himself in the future.

Originally posted by Mathom
When are they going to issue on the spot fines for spitting?

I agree with you. I hate people spitting on the street even more than people dropping fag ends. I think the fines should be higher for spitting. :mad:

Originally posted by Mathom
or maybe a Fisherman's Friend tin


well theyd definately taste better than the fishermans friends :)

Originally posted by Patchy
I agree with you. I hate people spitting on the street even more than people dropping fag ends. I think the fines should be higher for spitting. :mad:

but then spit the dog would be out of a job :P

when I was a lad we would be glad to pick up cig ends to roll up

Originally posted by Mathom
...But you could also get a little tin, such an empty travel sweets tin, or maybe a Fisherman's Friend tin (and the lozenges will help with the cough ;) ) for free. ... :gag:
Ow, hot hot hot! stubbies are heat insulated, but you're right they don't come full of lovely sweeties... perhaps someone should suggest this to the council :idea:

Intersted in if people think there is a difference between dropping cigarette butts and roll-up ends.
Personally I don't drop cigarette buts cause they don't decompose due to the filter in them, i tend to stub them out on a lampost and carry the butt to a bin. But when I'm smoking roll-ups where all that's left is a tiny square of biodegradable cardboard and a bit of rizla I do tend to drop them after stubbing them out.
In the same way as I see that throwing an apple core out of the window when in countryside areas isn't a problem.

Does this seem like a sensible option?

Ah, but throwing apple cores, banana skins, that unwanted bit of tomato out of your sandwich or any other bit of biodegradable waste is still classed as littering and will still earn you a £50 fixed fine. Apart from the fact that these things are unsightly and often smelly as they rot (come sniff my compost bin if you disagree - no pervs need apply) - they don't biodegrade overnight and they also attract rats and so are a health hazard :banana:

I wonder if these people do the same thing at home?

Yes, some people do this at home.

Originally posted by melthebell
but somebody will be out of a job with no litter to clean up :(


lol

I'm sorry but this makes me so angry. Some of this litter finishes up in the watercourses and woods, and is never cleared up. Often I find years old litter which has blown into the bottom of my garden. You see plastic bags and other stuff high up in the trees, all this is due to selfish people saying, "somebody will be out of a job.."
If you visit a beautiful town like Regensburg in Germany, there is no litter, because the people there don't throw it. In some parts of North America and Canada, people are so proud of their cities that Suited Businessmen have been seen to pick up litter from the sidewalk and throw it away later, in a litter bin, when it wasn't even theirs. :rant:

Originally posted by Sara
Ah, but throwing apple cores, banana skins, that unwanted bit of tomato out of your sandwich or any other bit of biodegradable waste is still classed as littering and will still earn you a £50 fixed fine. Apart from the fact that these things are unsightly and often smelly as they rot (come sniff my compost bin if you disagree - no pervs need apply) - they don't biodegrade overnight and they also attract rats and so are a health hazard :banana:

but dogs eat em before they rot...........mostly :P

Originally posted by muddycoffee
I'm sorry but this makes me so angry. Some of this litter finishes up in the watercourses and woods, and is never cleared up. Often I find years old litter which has blown into the bottom of my garden. You see plastic bags and other stuff high up in the trees, all this is due to selfish people saying, "somebody will be out of a job.."
If you visit a beautiful town like Regensburg in Germany, there is no litter, because the people there don't throw it. In some parts of North America and Canada, people are so proud of their cities that Suited Businessmen have been seen to pick up litter from the sidewalk and throw it away later, in a litter bin, when it wasn't even theirs. :rant:

thats the problem with this forum at times..........people grab the wrong end of the stick and emotion takes over before they think :)

notice the smiley and the LOL

I WAS JOKING ffs :)

instead of getting angry, learn to chill