Throwing cigarettes out car window---littering? Deserving of a littering ticket?

I think it is littering and in a perfect world they ALL would be ticketed. But we know the world is not perfect. Ticketing during fire season might be the time. Or as someone else mentioned, pull em over and let them cool their heels a good while and write them a warning. How long does your department/state keep warnings on file? Second time would be a definite write up-they proved they are a dumb @ss!

Only down side is that when you are in court, you might miss something REALLY good like a robbery.

 

If several guys decided to dump their ash trays in your front yard would you consider it littering?

 

Lets just try and get all the guys going over 10mph first.

 

What does my personal interpretation of littering have to do with the law?

The point I'm trying to make here is that everyone jumps on and says "Yeah, ticket every one of them! A law is a law!". But you can turn that same statement around and start ticketing everyone who does 1 mph over the speed limit and you can bet every single person that posted in this thread is guilty of speeding. Should the police never look the other way or issue warnings? Seems like people are sure quick to want the lawn enforced - when it doesn't affect them.​

 

When I speed, I know that I am risking getting a ticket every time, it's a calculated risk, knowing that speeders out number LE. If a cop pulls me over and gives me a ticket, I might be pissed, but I don't blame him, he's doing his job and I put myself in that situation. Right now, there's no risk for people throwing the butts out the window because LE looks the other way and doesn't enforce that law at all. I don't think you have to ticket every one, but if word gets out that LE is ticketing for littering, maybe people will think twice about.

 

I didn't think filters were biodegradable

 

Great point!

 

Me going one mile an hour over does not affect you. My throwing cigarette filters in your yard does. I hate littering and dont really care for smoking either. It costs us all a lot of money. So, in a way, it reallly does affect us all. Going 1 mph over the limit does not affect much if anything. It is not enough to change the outcome of an accident. It is not enough to change fuel economy. So, it really is kind of a fallacy to compare it to someone throwing garbage out the window of their car.

My personal interpretation is that going 1mph over the limit does not equate to someone throwing trash in my yard. How 'bout you?

 

I still think there is a better way for LE to spend their time...I guess I'm the only one in 8 pages...lol. I know littering is littering... I don't smoke either. I actually ask my friend who is a cop about this thread today...He kinda chuckled and said littering is littering...but cigarette butts was not on his list of high crimes to worry about. There was more important stuff to worry about right now cause there was a LOT bigger problems out there that actually effect the community. I told him that the LE could do a little better with all the drugs, robbery's, and so forth. He said yes...it just gets frustrating to keep arresting the same people over and over and the judges do nothing to them.

 

And those that do 15 under on the freeway. :D

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It's not a crime

 

If there is a minimum speed limit sign, then yes, it is.

 

In many situations, it is illegal and it is posted as such on many highways.

It can be as dangerous, if not more dangerous to drive well below the marked speed limit.

The gas pedal is by your right foot.:D

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Not just that but it can be illegal in many states and situations of left lane driving.

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This was kind of an inside joke between Gary and me. He thinks we drive too fast in ky and he just drives too slow.:D

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What's a gas pedal?

 

It's that thing that is supposed to be under your right foot when driving.

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You're getting way off base here. The original point of the conversation was if a cop sees someone throw a cigarette butt out the window should they get a ticket? That butt could land on the road, the shoulder, public or private property, it doesn't matter. Most folks here said yes, they should get a ticket. Most common reason - they personally don't like that type of behavior.

My fair comparison would then be someone is driving down a road going 1 mph over the speed limit. Nobody else around but the cop running radar on the side of the road. Using the logic stated above then yes, that person should get a ticket. The law is the law. Regardless of how you personally feel about it or how it affects you or anyone else, it's the law. But most people don't feel that law should be upheld - because they don't think it's hurting anyone. Mostly b/c they probably do it themselves.

So ultimately my point is this - you can't have your cake and eat it too. On one hand we want to enforce the law to the letter because we simply don't like that behavior. It's gross, it hurts the environment, etc. But when it comes to something we don't really think is hurting anyone, then why bother enforcing it? But where do you draw that line? People have claimed for years that victimless crimes shouldn't be prosecuted including prostition, drug use, gambling etc. Should we stop enforcing those laws as well? After all, nobody is getting hurt.

 

Also the smoker could turn that around and ask if one single butt thrown out the window is affecting anything. Probably no more than going one mph over the limit.

 

I didnt read all the posts, but not only should they be fined they should have thier kneecaps busted.

Not a fan of smoking, less of a fan of the indiscriminatory littering they are allowed to do, even less fan they get to take smoke breaks without ever being called on it.