Roadside rubbish... any HE staff here?
Discussion
I regularly drive up the A46 past Coventry on to the M69 to Leicester. Both are absolutely strewn with rubbish of all sorts but mainly plastic. Most roads are littered nowadays but these roads take it to a whole new level, more plastic than grass I would say.
Now, this is of course the fault of the motorists, and the occasional open backed truck. However why do Highways England think it sensible to simply mow through all the rubbish each time they cut the grass? Each piece of litter then becomes 50 pieces of litter. Why do HE not pick the litter up BEFORE mowing it? Why can't HE work with the DoJ to get some community service types to potter along picking it up ahead of the mowers?
It's such a depressing sight the sheer density of rubbish along these roads and the lack of common sense in mowing through it, there must be a reason?
Now, this is of course the fault of the motorists, and the occasional open backed truck. However why do Highways England think it sensible to simply mow through all the rubbish each time they cut the grass? Each piece of litter then becomes 50 pieces of litter. Why do HE not pick the litter up BEFORE mowing it? Why can't HE work with the DoJ to get some community service types to potter along picking it up ahead of the mowers?
It's such a depressing sight the sheer density of rubbish along these roads and the lack of common sense in mowing through it, there must be a reason?
I do a fair amount of driving on A roads and Motorways, last week on the A19 approaching the Yarm and Crathorne slip road heading south, I was overtaken by a marked police car and one of the highways stickered 4X4's, a little further up in the verge to my right were numerous planks of wood that were scattered for about 20 metres, some of these were just about encroaching on the outside lane, any motorcyclist would have had an issue in the dark, any HGV could have thrown this stuff backwards into oncoming traffic. The two vehicles that overtook me just drove by the issue and carried on? On the M1 I constantly see accident debris in the outside lane verge, wheel guards from HGV's and numerous strips of rubber from blowouts. I understand the roads have to be cleared of accidents but surely leaving the debris behind must increase the risk of another accident happening. We've had 50mph plus winds up here today and I can't help but think these objects are getting blown into the carriageways.
Pedro25 said:
I do a fair amount of driving on A roads and Motorways, last week on the A19 approaching the Yarm and Crathorne slip road heading south, I was overtaken by a marked police car and one of the highways stickered 4X4's, a little further up in the verge to my right were numerous planks of wood that were scattered for about 20 metres, some of these were just about encroaching on the outside lane, any motorcyclist would have had an issue in the dark, any HGV could have thrown this stuff backwards into oncoming traffic. The two vehicles that overtook me just drove by the issue and carried on? On the M1 I constantly see accident debris in the outside lane verge, wheel guards from HGV's and numerous strips of rubber from blowouts. I understand the roads have to be cleared of accidents but surely leaving the debris behind must increase the risk of another accident happening. We've had 50mph plus winds up here today and I can't help but think these objects are getting blown into the carriageways.
This is partly what is frustrating me. I live in the country and often cars leave the road and end up in fields or hedges. But when the recovery team recover them they leave all the "police aware" tape strung across the trees and often leave full bumpers with number plates still attached on the verge or ditch. I don't get the mentality of the person doing this shoddy work or the people paying them to not actually check the quality of their work. No one gives a damn (I do walk the 100 yards around my house a few times a year collecting all the rubbish deposited there as I'm near a laybye used by people eating takeways, vaping, changing nappies and I get everything deposited outside my house. Why is it easier to throwing vaping stuff in my garden than to take it home and put it in the bin?)Scarletpimpofnel said:
I regularly drive up the A46 past Coventry on to the M69 to Leicester. Both are absolutely strewn with rubbish of all sorts but mainly plastic. Most roads are littered nowadays but these roads take it to a whole new level, more plastic than grass I would say.
Now, this is of course the fault of the motorists, and the occasional open backed truck. However why do Highways England think it sensible to simply mow through all the rubbish each time they cut the grass? Each piece of litter then becomes 50 pieces of litter. Why do HE not pick the litter up BEFORE mowing it? Why can't HE work with the DoJ to get some community service types to potter along picking it up ahead of the mowers?
It's such a depressing sight the sheer density of rubbish along these roads and the lack of common sense in mowing through it, there must be a reason?
The funny thing is that J1 (A5/Hinckley) on the M69 is the boundry between National Highways East and West Mids areas and are maintained by two different contractors for them. I work for the East Mids contractor and it seems the West mids side of the M69 is the forgotten road as the state of it compared to our side (which is by no means perfect) is night and day. Now, this is of course the fault of the motorists, and the occasional open backed truck. However why do Highways England think it sensible to simply mow through all the rubbish each time they cut the grass? Each piece of litter then becomes 50 pieces of litter. Why do HE not pick the litter up BEFORE mowing it? Why can't HE work with the DoJ to get some community service types to potter along picking it up ahead of the mowers?
It's such a depressing sight the sheer density of rubbish along these roads and the lack of common sense in mowing through it, there must be a reason?
The litter/grass cutting issue is mainly down to planning amongst other things. Most of the time you'll get a litter picking crew on the same night to go ahead of the mower but if an emergency comes in, for instance, and they need to go and close a road instead then the grass is getting cut without them. Even down to that routine maintenance is mainly done at night and if the grass is long then buried litter gets missed. So much litter is deposited on the Motorways though it's just a never ending battle that will never be won.
Driving to York from Thirsk on the A19 ten days ago , some brave folk were on litter picking duty . I had been noticing how refreshingly clean the verges had looked , and it is the time of year when litter is at its most visible. After I had passed the pickers, I counted the large bin bags they had already filled, over a mile distance. TWENTY EIGHT , on one side of the road , in a bloody mile on a road which can be busy , but is often quiet . So , in the 20 miles to York , that equates to over a thousand bags.
Who are these knuckle dragging idiots who drop litter ? Anybody on here ? Do tell us why ...
Who are these knuckle dragging idiots who drop litter ? Anybody on here ? Do tell us why ...
Saleen836 said:
Although litter morons are a pet hate of mine not all roadside rubbish is down to them,I always see bins in laybys that are full to the brim that never seem t be emptied, crows and other birds get in looking fr food and the rubbish gets blown around by the wind
Actually I think bins contribute to the problem . Unless the time and money is spent in emptying them very regularly ,people see an overflowing bin as a positive encouragement to chuck their stuff everywhere , feeling it isn't their fault . Just take the bloody stuff home . Only an idiot puts rubbish in an overflowing bin . God knows I am no saint but littering is just a disgusting, anti social thing to do for which there is never , ever an excuse .
Littering is one of those problems you'd think would improve over time in this country but just goes on forever.
Even if a bin is full or you haven't got access to a bin does it not hurt to hold on to your rubbish until you find one?
Personally I think people fined for littering or charged for fly tipping (if people still get fined in this modern age) should be made to carry out a statutory amount of hours of litter picking as part of their fine/sentence.
Even if a bin is full or you haven't got access to a bin does it not hurt to hold on to your rubbish until you find one?
Personally I think people fined for littering or charged for fly tipping (if people still get fined in this modern age) should be made to carry out a statutory amount of hours of litter picking as part of their fine/sentence.
But here's the thing - when I was a kid in the 60s littering was almost universally practised . Fag packets, fish and chip papers and sweet wrappings were dropped wily -nilly by a pretty significant percentage and fag ends by everyone . But fly tippers aside , now I sense that most people are actually pretty careful and that the volume of litter we see , is not only nearly all thrown from vehicles , but by a relatively small percentage who throw everything away as a matter of routine .
For years wee lived in a small hamlet on the Moors and even there , litter was seen on the verges constantly . The farmers (who hated anybody from more than 5 miles away) invariably blamed 'bloody cyclists , bloody townie walkers and horse riders '. Really , a pushbiker bought a Costa coffee 8miles away ,cycled 8miles uphill and only then drank the coffee . And my , those horse riders supping Stella and Monster Energy drinks on their steeds . We did manage to identify one culprit who chucked his vodka and orange cans out of his pick up. Every bloody day , en route to the farm he worked at ..... Oddly enough , he got done for drunk driving
For years wee lived in a small hamlet on the Moors and even there , litter was seen on the verges constantly . The farmers (who hated anybody from more than 5 miles away) invariably blamed 'bloody cyclists , bloody townie walkers and horse riders '. Really , a pushbiker bought a Costa coffee 8miles away ,cycled 8miles uphill and only then drank the coffee . And my , those horse riders supping Stella and Monster Energy drinks on their steeds . We did manage to identify one culprit who chucked his vodka and orange cans out of his pick up. Every bloody day , en route to the farm he worked at ..... Oddly enough , he got done for drunk driving
On my cycle ride one day last week I decided to take a bag and pick up some rubbish. I ride through deserted countryside, generally 20 miles and see may 2 or 3 cars. I picked up 5 energy drink cans, 2 vodka bottles and a beer can along side a few sweet wrappers. Not sure what it says, but whoever is chucking out the vodka bottles probably isn't the sort to care about littering laws.
Its about time we made littering as objectionable as it was in 70's when we had a big campaign to cure the problems of the 60's.
Its about time we made littering as objectionable as it was in 70's when we had a big campaign to cure the problems of the 60's.
Was on the North Isle (over from Isle of Wight ) yesterday Southampton to NEC and back. We were over a couple of weeks ago Lymington to Bath area and back. It really is very noticeable the amount of rubbish now on the roadsides. We barely see it over here. The laybys on the A34 are terrible. I simply dont understand why people behave this way and also why is so difficult for the authorities to litter pick it. Surely its a good community service job ?
Hedgerows are just bins to the mouth breathers.
Went for a walk yesterday and every field gate had a pile of the usual s
t, KFC, McDonalds, Costa and energy drinks. We try to collect it as we go - take a carrier bag with us, but it's never ending. It's always the same parasites who do this, See it all the time, knackered old povo 1 series, fat girlfriend, dinner for 2 at Burger King out of the window.
It really has got far worse in recent years, there's a relatively quiet rural B road I cycle approximately 5 miles along every day and perhaps 3 or 4 years ago you would have been hard pressed to see a single piece of litter along there, now it's absolutely litter strewn along it's whole length.
I can't quite figure out if it is an increase in littering or a decrease in litter picking by the local council.
Given my particular location is a coastal AONB and hugely reliant on tourism income it seems very short sighted by the local council for them to not deal with this issue as more of a priority, even if it is undoubtedly the tourists and visitors who are almost entirely responsible for the litter.
I can't quite figure out if it is an increase in littering or a decrease in litter picking by the local council.
Given my particular location is a coastal AONB and hugely reliant on tourism income it seems very short sighted by the local council for them to not deal with this issue as more of a priority, even if it is undoubtedly the tourists and visitors who are almost entirely responsible for the litter.
AFAIK, based on my observation locally, LAs litter pick roadsides no more than twice a year. That's certainly the case along the A617 from Chesterfield to the M1. It's not a stretch that would be safe for community volunteers as it's a 70mph dual carriageway but in other areas locally there are litter picking groups.
It shouldn't be necessary of course, sadly it is. It's just a sign of the times...
It shouldn't be necessary of course, sadly it is. It's just a sign of the times...
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