No no no, Crunch! That’s a horrible suggestion! Those embers will fall out on to the sidewalk!!! Everyone’s embers will be all over the sidewalk. I don’t want to have to see that! It will look like Pompeii out there!
It’s littering. Yep it’s illegal and, if a certain cop (or two, as my case may be) decides to be an asshole, you can get a ticket for it. Just so you all know.
You fucking cigarette tossers that think the world is your ashtray. Quit trying to rationalize your behavior with all sorts of idiotic arguments. It could be worse? So could a lot of things. Why can’t I throw my trash on your living room floor? Come on, if you don’t like your living room floor all dirty, then pick up my garbage! You all sound like a bunch of children. “If you don’t like what I’m doing, you fix it! You clean up after me. In fact, maybe I’ll unbuckle my pants and take a healthy dump right here on the sidewalk. What? You don’t like that? Where’s your pooper scooper, hypocrite?”
Alphagene, Crunchy Frog, and others. You really amaze me with your blinding stupidity.
Tzel
“Alphagene, Crunchy Frog, and others. You really amaze me with your blinding stupidity.”
Hey dipshit, didn’t you read my whole post? I said you shouldn’t have to clean up after me. I was trying to show what a non-topic this is, and at the same time I was stating both sides of the issues. Let me restate my last paragraph since you seemed to have missed it the first time:
And for you smokers rationalizing tossing them on the ground. It is not that difficult to strip your cigarette. Simply squeeze the end of the filter and roll it between your fingers until the burning embers fall out. It is easy and painless. You now have a butt that poses no danger of burning anything. Throw it away or keep it until you can.
Right here, I tell smokers how easy it is to clean up after themselves, so we have no excuse for not doing it. Email me your mailing address would you so I can send you a check to help you buy that clue you need.
My point was neither side is 100% in the right on this. Non-litterers: Throw the butts away so they can go to landfills, they still won’t bio-degrade, but at least I don’t have to see them. (And we all know looking at cig butts causing cancer of the eyes.)
Butt tossers: There’s no ash can and I don’t want to wait till I can find one and what if there’s a fire?
Next time try reading the entire post before you reply.
And while you’re working on your post reading comprehension, Tzel, I recommend looking back at one of mine, too
But regardless I will now run around the NYC metro area in a cape and helmet, throwing burning cigarettes everwhere and shouting in a booming voice “Behold! I am Cigarette Tosser! The world is my ashtray!”.
I probably won’t be crapping on no sidewalks though.
PUH-LEEZE. Cigarette butts are far different than a dog taking a crap on your lawn. Tossing a cigarette butt is often an unconcious act. While definetly thoughtless, it is not the actively rude act that letting your dog crap on someone’s lawn is. I’ve seen dickhead dog owners let their dogs shit wherever they want without cleaning it up. When I’ve said something about them cleaning it up they either tell me to fuck off or they ignore me and walk away. As if I like accidentally stepping in dog crap.
I think the majority of people who are complaining on this thread are self-righteous former smokers, or a bunch of prisses who think that because they don’t like something they can demonize it to death. Grow up and mind your own damn business.
Gawd. I was going to make another comment about people tossing butts, but enuf said. All bases have been covered, y’think?
Posted by Crunchy Frog:
I was more focusing on this little masterpiece of logic, which seems to divide people into litterers and janitors, and if you’re not a janitor, you’re as bad as a litterer. Right. I’m going to carry around a trash bag and a pole with a needle so I can clean up every irresponsible smoker’s remains. Yep. I want to dedicate every moment of my life to reducing the neverending stream of litter smokers produce.
As for you, Alphagene:
First you post this:
Then, a perfectly plausible option is presented by Myrr21:
And you dismiss it for no reason, simply peppering your response with a few half-hearted witticisms to create an illusion of credibility:
Seems to me if you actually did care to reduce your litter output, you might have actually taken this rational solution, but you just insult it and sneak in the old fallacy of pointing out an immeasurably greater problem when it has no bearing whatsoever on the issue to be discussed.
Oh, how I love the Pit.
You know, in some places the ciggie butt litter got so bad that people did do something about it.
I have lived at the beach my whole life (except for a couple of side-trips). Back in the day, there were ciggie butts EVERYWHERE! It was like people said, “Sand? Ashtray”!
It’s not that way anymore, and it’s great! I feel like I can take my son out without having him pick up a bunch of butts, or tampons, or whatever things these dipshits are throwing on the ground (within mere feet of a trashcan, BTW).
And to those of you who think it’s no big deal for your little piece of litter to hit the ground wherever- FUCK YOU! If everybody thought that, we’d be hip-deep in all kinds of shit. You are a selfish asshole.
I know that sounds kind of 70’s, but really- it’s called good manners, try it sometime. If your parents didn’t raise you better, take it upon yourself.
(and yes, I used to smoke, and no, I didn’t feel the need to distribute my butts all over the place)
At this point in the discussion, this whole thing has little to do with logic, Tzel. I know it’s a minor infraction. A venial sin. I know it’s not right. But I don’t do it very often and I hate the self-righteousness of the people who act like I am personally kneeing Mother Earth in the groin. And I’m not an “asshole” for doing it.
Well aren’t you just an adorbale little Paragon of Virtue. Pin a rose on you.
I got news for you, folks, we all do things like this.
Have you ever returned a tape to the video store without rewinding it?
Ever tell your spouse that it was the best sex you ever had but it wasn’t?
Ever lie on your resume?
Ever take silverware from a restaurant?
Ever take shampoo from a hotel room?
Ever take office supplies from work?
Ever surf the internet on company time?
Ever fabricate a story about why you were speeding to a police officer?
Ever gossip about someone?
Ever “borrow” your roomate’s sweater without asking?
Ever buy scalped tickets?
Ever steal cable?
Ever download a copyrighted MP3?
Ever copy a CD you bought and gave the copy to a friend?
These are all Bad Things. Many of them make other people’s lives slightly more unpleasant. They’re not Terribly Evil Things, but they are Bad Things. And we know we shouldn’t do them, we know it’s not logical or rational but we do them.
Hey I’m honest about the Little Bad Things I do. And I know they’re bad. But if any of you never do Little Bad Things then I welcome you to get all holier-than-thou on me. Until then, find a way to deal with my brutal honesty and perhaps be more honest with youselves.
[Edited by Alphagene on 10-16-2000 at 04:28 PM]
it is pointless to debate butt littering with those whose brains are held hostage by nicotine, so i’m directing this to the non-smokers:
nicotine addiction is a bizarre sickness. it makes otherwise normal people defend obviously inconsiderate behavior. they can complain about b.o., farts, and other bad smells, while remaining oblivious to the eye watering stench they inflict on others. they can point to any other litter besides cigarette butts and say ‘bad’. it’s the nicotine talking, not the person inside. cigarettes work on people like puppeteers. i’ve seen people who claim to be ‘environmentalists’ flick a piece of styrofoam into a lake, just because it came from the back of a cigarette.
that’s why hypnosis sometimes works to quit smoking - it’s like they’re brainwashed. you can’t just convince these folks that butt littering is no better than beer can littering through simple reason.
Wow. That’s quite a wonderful unsubstantiated overgeneralization you got there. So much for “Love the sinner, hate the sin”.
I’m just amazed that so many non-smokers here think they are superior human beings just because they don’t smoke. You all must lead perfect righteous law-abiding lives to criticize me at the intensity that you are.
And people think I’m the asshole.
[Edited by Alphagene on 10-16-2000 at 05:41 PM]
nicotine! quit this soul so he may see the litter!
the power of rational thought compels you!
<flicking holy water>
Yeah, thanks.
zwaldd, who thinks that all smokers are brainwashed puppets is offering me the gift rational thought.
And EJsGirl, who made a backhanded insult about my parents is offering me a lesson about common courtesy.
This thread is like a glass house community populated by the Professional Stone Throwers Association.
hah! i offer you nothing nicotine!
my gift is for your host, alphagene!
release his tongue, that he may speak!
begone vile demon, by the end of the week!
(from the phillip morris book of incantations)
Persoanlly, what I find selfish and inconsiderate are the asshole non-smokers who are standing next to me, while I smoke, and are breathing. I mean, HELLO, I paid $5 for my pack of cigs and there you are inhaling my smoke for free. I need to start charging people who stand around me. A nickel a breath.
Al- I must say I agree with you 200%. I would love to say things like that but I am just not nearly as eloquent.
-N
I think it’s been covered before, but I have to chime in:
It’s rude to flick your butt on the ground. Use an Altoids can, as has been suggested. If it’s rude and inconsiderate to throw gum wrappers on the ground, or other small bits of trash, it’s also rude to flick a butt. It’s tacky, and shitty, and everything else mentioned here previously. Since when is willfully littering an act that we shouldn’t get pissed about?
No, it’s not a major crime to toss a gum wrapper, or a cig butt. But it’s lazy, and NEEDLESS. Sometimes the inconsiderate acts done out of laziness are the ones that piss us off the most.
I also have to add - I am just amazed at some of you smokers. You strain to find reasons why it’s no biggie that you flick your butts. It’s pathetic, really. Would you strain so hard to find a reason why it’s not a big deal to throw candy wrappers on the ground, or other small trash items? Would you try so hard to list other things that are worse than flicking butts? Please. You know it’s a lazy, shitty thing to do. And we know it. Please stop embarrassing yourself by trying to dismiss it.
Oh for the love of GOD. If seeing butts on the ground pisses you nonsmokers off so much, PICK THEM UP! Then we’re all happy. I don’t see where it’s necessary for all smokers to start carrying around ashtrays or Altoids cans to hold their butts. I honestly just don’t see where this is a big deal. And FTR, I don’t smoke.
Hey Alpha. Doesn’t the Gospel according to Jack Lord have something to say on this? 
I disagree, Falcon. I don’t think it’s reasonable to say that not only do I have to often be in the position of inhaling their foul smoke, now I have to clean up after them, too? Nah. Sorry. I am, in the vernacular, not down with that.
I have to chime in once more-
Even when I smoked regularly, I didn’t flick butts. I wouldn’t do that any more then I would toss a wrapper or other trash. That’s just me.
I had a pool party over the summer on my new deck. About two hours after the party started I discovered the smokers were flicking butts off the side of the deck EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE ASHTRAYS GALORE. They were each invited down off the deck to pick up their trash. I told them I assumed they were just keeping them in a convenient spot until they had a chance to clean them up. They did it, and never flicked again. (not from my deck, anyway)
How rude can you be to do that at someones house? This ain’t the Wal-Mart parking lot pal. This is my yard! Pick up your goddamned butts, or I’ll be kicking YOUR butt the hell out.
Zette