Adulterated beauty…
If cycling on a bright sunny spring morning does nothing else, it will most certainly bring us in closer contact with the beauty of the world around us, but sometimes that beauty is adulterated by human beings. No, I am not talking about farmers, road menders, 
wayside factory units or inconsiderate drivers, I am referring to the feckless individuals who are intent on ‘spoiling the party’ by dumping their household waste on country roadside verges.
Not only do they thoughtlessly dump it willy-nilly in remote spots, but they also make their unwelcome presence felt by spreading their rubbish in several places, thus making it harder for anyone to clear up. So, what do they gain, and what could they potentially lose if they are identified?
Given that most of this waste could easily be disposed of through normal domestic 
collection, they gain absolutely nothing. But they do stand to lose on at least two counts: if they are identified (and household waste can throw up a lot of clues) they stand to be stung for a £400 fine, but more importantly, if they are members of a local community, they may have to face the opprobrium of those who live around them.
This very same stretch of road (I have decided) also sees the frequent passage of a committed coca cola drinker. How do I know? I see many discarded cans by the road side, but along this stretch there were no fewer than some 20 coke cans……the same colour red, the same company insignia…..is it not time to impose an environmental tax on these companies.
Rant over…. today’s ride was otherwise glorious, mixed as it was with paying a visit to two old friends en route.
Posted on March 21, 2018, in Cycling UK and tagged countryside, cycling, dumping, rubbish. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
Unconscionable, Frank. The hicks in the sticks do that over here too.
Amazingly, some of the rubbish is good quality stuff…..
We have some Romanies over towards Whitchurch I pass regularly – been there decades and never a problem, but when the wandering caravan dwellers descend on the area, you can guarantee piles of debris left, not only where and when they vacate a squat but across the surrounding countryside. They seem to go out of their way to ‘impress’ when they discard stuff. Sometimes it’ll be cuttings or hardcore from their cash-in-hand work or simply cast-offs like the bits you found. I once came across a load of old fence panels where the culprits had just raised the back of their small tipper while driving down the lane – it was completely blocked to cars. I was on my bike.
You could blame the reduced number of tips, or the fact that small commercial operators are charged if they use the dump but at the end of the day, it’s just an anti-establishment and anti-community attitude.
Agree entirely Bob……there are people who simply lack imagination….as well as a conscience.
Our biggest roadside litter seems to be McDonalds’ packaging.
…and the same features here too…