# I pit people who leave trash in historical sites! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 27, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295 "2014-12-27T20:23:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/1 "2014-12-27T20:23:43Z")
I was exploring some WW2 forts today. The one thing I noticed, all over the place, in every fort, was broken beer bottles:mad: Some of these forts along the Maine coast have been closed to the public for this exact reason. It seems every historical place like this has been ruined by people who just can’t be bothered to clean up after themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/2 "2014-12-27T20:29:37Z")
Just don’t start blaming the beer! I’m with ya. I also would include ass-pipes that climb over railings and fences in National Parks to trample around eating lunch in closed areas. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/3 "2014-12-27T22:02:50Z")
I totally support your pitting. Its not just broken beer bottles, its cigarette butts. All over the fucking place. I smoked for many years and never left butts laying around. Hey you fucking idiots, don’t you know that one of the reasons you are losing places to smoke is because you are inconsiderate fuckheads?!?! Gasp, pant. Sorry, pet peeve. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/4 "2014-12-27T22:14:05Z")
Preaching to the choir! Hellfire, my Dad was a Boy Scout, and his policy was pack it in, pack it out, always leave any camping/picnic spot cleaner than you found it. I can remember my entire life anytime we went somewhere and he didn’t actually have access to an ash tray, he would field strip his cigarettes. He had one of those little [clippy purses](http://media.tumblr.com/de6af9b70bb92a20a7c14e7e896f24ea/tumblr_inline_n9r1l3e5g11sl8kug.jpg) he got from who knows where he would put the stripped out filters and paper into. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/5 "2014-12-28T01:45:28Z")
I asked a friend if he ever cleaned out his car? His reply was that he never threw anything on the road side. Still don’t like sitting in it. OK, he wins on point but used W\*W bags are in our vehicles for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/6 "2014-12-28T04:05:21Z")
I believe that leaving behind trash is important for future archaeologists. We learn more from our ancestors’ litter than we do from their monuments. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/7 "2014-12-28T16:11:26Z")
You should remember this unpleasantness, lest you be condemned to repeat it. > [@boffking](#): > > I was exploring some WW2 forts today. The one thing I noticed, all over the place, in every fort, was broken beer bottles:mad: Some of these forts along the Maine coast have been closed to the public for this exact reason. > It seems every historical place like this has been ruined by people who just can’t be bothered to clean up after themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/8 "2014-12-29T12:03:09Z")
Preach it, brother! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12131294&postcount=37](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12131294&postcount=37) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-people-who-leave-trash-in-historical-sites/708295/9 "2014-12-29T23:39:31Z")
It may look like trash now, but in 1000 years imagine its historical value! 😉 ETA: Added winkie for any [del]moron[/del] ardent conservationist who thinks I’m serious. However, trash really has been invaluable to archaeologists, and they thank our ancestors every day for being the slobs they were.