If…
I am driving down the road in my car while eating a peanut butter sandwich and I then toss the bread crust out of the car window; am I, technically, littering?
If…
I am driving down the road in my car while eating a peanut butter sandwich and I then toss the bread crust out of the car window; am I, technically, littering?
July 6, 2008 at 9:34 am |
I’d say “no” because something will come along and eat it, most likely and hopefully not get hit by a car in the process.
July 6, 2008 at 10:41 am |
Yes, anything that you throw out of your car is littering, at least in my narrow understanding of littering laws. My wife and I had this exact conversation yesterday.
July 7, 2008 at 8:58 am |
We were amused, when we lived in California, to find that the laws about littering allow for two things to be tossed out of a vehicle to the highway: water, and chicken feathers.
I guess, taking a common sense approach to the question, that it depends on where you are. My kids are always wanting to put orange peels and the like into planters and such because it composts. I say, they aren’t set up for compost here, and if everyone did it, it’d be a mess that no one would want to be around. So, if you’re on a rural road, I think it’s fine to throw out crumbs, because, as Laura says, it’ll get eaten. But even in the city just little crumbs will be eaten by something, if nothing else by ants. Hey, they need to eat, too.
July 7, 2008 at 2:22 pm |
It depends. If, in your heart, you are simply offering crumbs to the birds and other critters, then no, you aren’t littering, but if, in your heart, you are simply tossing it out the window because you don’t want the insides of your car to smell like a peanut butter sandwich, then yes, you are a litter bug. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Legally, you are probably being a dirt bag litterer and if you do it in Singapore, you’ll be lashed. Or maybe that’s for chewing gum.
July 9, 2008 at 3:31 pm |
on the other hand, if it was a crust of Wonder bread, you are in deep shit. Not only would you be violating state litter laws, but since Wonder bread is a toxic substance, you’d be in violation of a half dozen EPA laws…
July 11, 2008 at 9:45 am |
The mice will eat it. And then the owl that swoops down to catch the mouse by the side of the road may be hit by a car and wounded or killed. Happens all the time.
So, while it may not be litter, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
July 14, 2008 at 11:40 am |
If I throw a human corpse out the window it is technically biodegradable and something might eat it. But yeah, it’s still littering.
July 14, 2008 at 6:43 pm |
Littering!