Butt out!

[Slytovhand]

I hate...


Smokers who throw their butts on the ground.

And... I'm not sure if it's worse or not... those who throw them into gardens etc. As though out of sight... out of mind.


grrrrr...!!!!!!!!!!

[Greenday]

It happens all the time in front of my dorm. Every time you walk out there, there are an uncountable amount of cigarette butts on the ground. Nevermind that there are tons of ashtrays outside and a trashcan. I haven't seen ONE person use the ashtray. It pisses me off and is not fair to the cleaning crew.

[crazylegs]

Thats what I like about our council, £80 ($160) fine for littering, that includes cigarette ends.

[IDrinkaRum]

In the parking lot of the strip mall The Gaming Store is located in, there are decorative islands at the beginning of some of the parking aisles. These decorative islands have either trees or bushes and mulch. We've had smokers throw their butts in the bushes, and my rawking manager has had to to run out and throw water on the bushes. That's always fun. :rolleyes:

[Dreamstalker]

One morning last summer, I'm going out to meet someone and there's a fire truck in front of my building (no alarms went off), fireman is in the bushes in front of the building with a shovel and extinguisher, covering a charred patch of plants and mulch. I ask what happened and the reply is (verbatim) "some asshole with a cigarette". This was during a very dry period and bad things could have happened.

Who the %$@# discards a butt in dry mulch knowing there's a red-flag alert (high fire danger) in the area? Even if you don't know about the alert, the fact that everything is bone-dry should light some neurons up to tell you doing that is a Bad Idea. Especially that close to a residence. At least if the thing is on the pavement it'll extinguish itself.

[MadMike]

We've had a few close calls at my job because of idiots throwing butts from the catwalk, where they either land on someone below, or in the tan bark, and start smoldering.

Every time it happens, the company sends a nastygram out, warning that smoking could be banned from the property completely, but in the end, they do nothing but piss and moan.

[Greenday]

Who the %$@# discards a butt in dry mulch knowing there's a red-flag alert (high fire danger) in the area? Even if you don't know about the alert, the fact that everything is bone-dry should light some neurons up to tell you doing that is a Bad Idea. Especially that close to a residence. At least if the thing is on the pavement it'll extinguish itself.

People at my school. The school decided to re-mulch every building. The apartments got new mulch around them, the residence halls, etc. Some moron, the day they put out the new mulch and we hadn't had rain in awhile, threw his cigarette in the mulch. All the students received a nice e-mail about the small fire he caused.

[Dreamstalker]

When I was in college, at least once a week during the spring and early fall there would be emails reminding everyone to please dispose of their cig butts in the ashtrays, on a few occasions small fires that were not two feet away from an ashtray had to be put out.

This was in NM, which at the time was under what seemed like perpetual drought restrictions/warnings of one flavor or another. "Not from here" is hardly an excuse when you've lived here for 2 years and there are signs everywhere. Then again, one could argue that the heat (or various substances) cooked their brains.

[Norton]

Another mulch-fire story:

At my last job, someone threw a cigarette in the dry mulch next to the building. The fire burned through the building wall and got into a storage room. Thankfully, the fire department put it out before the damage got too bad. Of course, if the person would have held onto that cigarette for 5 seconds longer, they would have seen the ashtray by the entrance.


I noticed something... a lot of places in my area have no ashtrays near the entrances. I guess it's to discourage people from smoking near the doorways which is all well and fine, but those same places are often littered with butts on the ground. I've noticed that places with ashtrays tend to have less litter around the entrances.
I wish more places would provide ashtrays. I hate walking around with a smelly stubbed-out butt in my pocket until I can dispose of it. I also dislike when a place only has a regular trash can out front. I try to make sure the butt isn't smoldering at all before I throw it out, but I still worry that I'll cause a garbage can fire.

[Slytovhand]

Ah now.. you see Norton... while those ashtrays have some effect, you still can't compete with people's total and absolute disregard for their own convenience...

At our place, we have a smokers bin on the wall just around the corner - and by that, I'm talking all of about 3 meters away (or less...9' for non-metric).

Still doesn't matter... the pavement and mini-garden is still littered with them... regardless of the sign on the wall directly above said garden. And totally regardless of the emails that go out...

And yes... we do have fines for littering... there's a massive one done by the local gov't as a billboard across the main bridge from my side of town to the other... I'm thinking I'll have to put a speed dial number for it in my mobile... and really piss off a lot of co-workers!!!

We don't get the fire thing though... I might have to do something about that :P (might just get ppl to think a bit :D)*



*no... where I'm talking wouldn't be even remotely dangerous... it's about 3' x 4' shelf, sitting on marble, overlooking the asphalt pavement....

[blas87]

A bunch of inconsiderate smokers ruin it for all of us.

We have to smoke outside. Almost everyone has their own ashtrays. I bought two butt buckets. They are in the automotive section at your local Wally World. The cigarette goes out immediately when put inside the bucket, so NO smoke comes out. So much better than an old school ashtray. So clean discreet and nice to have.

That disgusting pig downstairs, Tommy Lee, throws his butts everywhere. We all got a warning letter from the property management company about cigg butts. No one but HIM is doing it. Of course, one time he dumped a bunch by my car, so it would look like I did it. He litters all over the place, and either the wind blows the litter away and nearby other people's vehicles or buildings. It pisses me off to no end. I can't wait until he moves out. The littering will totally stop.

[protege]

One of the local banks had a small fire because of smoking. Turns out some idiot in the drive-thru threw their cig out...and a bird grabbed it. The birdie took the cig back to its nest under the eaves...and set the roof on fire.

Anyone want to guess what was sitting in the bank's parking lot? Yep, a fire truck. When they got the call, they were like "are you effing kidding me?" The story made the front page of the local paper :)

[AFPheonix]

A bunch of inconsiderate smokers ruin it for all of us.

We have to smoke outside. Almost everyone has their own ashtrays. I bought two butt buckets. They are in the automotive section at your local Wally World. The cigarette goes out immediately when put inside the bucket, so NO smoke comes out. So much better than an old school ashtray. So clean discreet and nice to have.

That disgusting pig downstairs, Tommy Lee, throws his butts everywhere. We all got a warning letter from the property management company about cigg butts. No one but HIM is doing it. Of course, one time he dumped a bunch by my car, so it would look like I did it. He litters all over the place, and either the wind blows the litter away and nearby other people's vehicles or buildings. It pisses me off to no end. I can't wait until he moves out. The littering will totally stop.

I guess sweeping it up daily and depositing it in front of his door is not an option?

[DesignFox]

Oh the joys of mulch fires. We've had a couple..each one right around the time the bossman decided to have the garden re-mulched around the store.

I've had to run out there and extinguish fires a fair few times... :rolleyes: and we have a smoker's outpost...for crying out loud...although, our customers are such jerkwads that they managed to get THAT smoking as well (asshole threw the cig PACK in not just his butts). :rolleyes:

Extinguishing fires was not in my job description...

[crazylegs]

We've had a few close calls at my job because of idiots throwing butts from the catwalk, where they either land on someone below, or in the tan bark, and start smoldering.

Or they throw them onto tinder dry heath... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/7422276.stm

Its just laziness pure and simple, you can get heat resistant pouches four your butt ends smokers, use them!

[XCashier]

I used to live in Arizona. Very little rain, the wild grasses and brush were tinder-dry most of the year, and by every highway there were "Fire Danger" signs permanently set on the dark red "Extreme" and reminder signs to "Use Your Ashtray". Every year there were wildfires, frequently caused by some moron tossing a still-hot cig butt out the car window. Seriously, it's hardly rocket science. Hot cig butt = fire hazard. I'm sure even the tobacco companies would agree with that!

Here in Oregon, it's not much better. There are tons of cig butts along the road, especially at freeway exits. True, there's a lot more rain and a much lesser fire danger, but it's still disgusting to see tons of cigarette butts all over the place, marring the beauty of the landscape. :(

Nearly every car in existance has an ashtray, and if it doesn't, you can get one at any auto parts shop. They're not expensive. There's no excuse to be a litterbug or a firebug.

[BlaqueKatt]

I've noticed that places with ashtrays tend to have less litter around the entrances.

what about the opposite problem---I just want to scream-the ashtray is not a garbage can!!!! I can't count the number of times I've seen ashtray fires due to someone throwing paper, plastic or something else that ISN'T a Butt in an ashtray---and the worst part is, the ashtray is usually right next to or right above the garbage can. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHH





I hate walking around with a smelly stubbed-out butt in my pocket until I can dispose of it.

Do what I do-carry an old altiods(or similar) tin-or one of these (http://www.strapya-world.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=ashtray)

[Dreamstalker]

Its just laziness pure and simple, you can get heat resistant pouches four your butt ends smokers, use them!
A friend from Belfast who smokes has one of those...quite neat actually. I continue to wonder (as does she) why we here in the States don't have them.

I was watching How Clean Is Your House recently and Kim had a good tip: baking soda in the bottom of an ashtray. Instantly extinguishes the butt and gets rid of the smell.

[DesignFox]

what about the opposite problem---I just want to scream-the ashtray is not a garbage can!!!! I can't count the number of times I've seen ashtray fires due to someone throwing paper, plastic or something else that ISN'T a Butt in an ashtray---

Yea...like the idiots that manage to get the smoker's outpost going...it's a bucket hidden by a thingie that traps the smoke from the butts. Some jackwads throw other shit in there and then the whole thing starts smoking...Problem is, since it's enclosed except for the part where you put the butts, it's normally a fairly good fire before you notice it's smoking...and then you have to take the lid off to pour water in it and the flames kick up with the added oxygen...not pretty. :mad:

[aniwahya]

I have started approaching smokers and politely pointing out to smokers that I am all for people having the right to smoke. I also point out that some people, myself included, have respiratory diseases that make it so that we can't tolerate cigarette smoke. Especially when I am coming out of a severe attack I am hypersensitive to strong perfumes, plants, and cigarette smoke. To clarify I make a point of saying that I don't think smokers do it on purpose, it is more a matter of not understanding how sensitive someone's lungs can be.

Just walking up to a building, and having to walk past a smoker(s) the smoke can cause a bronchospasm that can (and has) send me to the ER. Especially when people smoke in front of the entrances of hospitals or other buildings where people go when in respiratory distress. Bottom line is smoke all you want, just please, please smoke at least 20 feet from the door, and be aware of which way the wind is blowing. I just want to be able to get in the door safely, and I don't think that is too much to ask.

The cigarette butt thing is just about pure laziness in my opinion. Hell, I have called out friends/family on the cigarette butt issues and their overt hypocrisy in claiming people who throw trash on the ground are slobs, but then they throw their butt on the ground. >.>
It is especially irritating when I can hobble my crippled ass all the way to the garbage can, but people I know are able bodied are too lazy to take 30 seconds to use the trash can, Grr. >.>

[Difdi]

Anyone want to guess what was sitting in the bank's parking lot? Yep, a fire truck. When they got the call, they were like "are you effing kidding me?" The story made the front page of the local paper


Oh, that's great. Got a link to the papers website, by any chance?

[anriana]

When I was still being dragged to church we would have members drop their butts on our church lawn! I don't even agree with the beliefs but I wouldn't littler on the property, sheesh.

[Slytovhand]

Well - I took some action the other day.

I put in a complaint about the butts left outside the front of our building here, to the local city council.

They obviously forwarded the complaint onto the company, who has since sent an email to all staff advising of a 'complaint from the member of the public' and advising that a $200 fine was possible.

Unfortunately... not a lot has changed. :(

I suspect that the threat of a fine isn't enough. Needs to actually happen for ppl to get the hint...