Mayor Plante speaks up against butts
The mayor has made a plea against cigarette butts. Attempts have been made before to install public ashtrays and get smokers to use them, but it’s a hard sell. Watch any smoker throw their butt on the ground – it’s usually done with a gesture of disgust. That person has had their hit and doesn’t want to think about it any more. Now it’s someone else’s problem.
Jonathan 09:34 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
I would say it’s a small few of very heavy smokers who are responsible. Most smokers I see put out their butts and awkwardly try and find somewhere to dispose of it properly.
Meezly 09:49 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
I disagree. When I was taking the bus regularly, I remember early spring/late winter when the snow melts revealing all the hidden crud of the city, including countless cigarette butts encased in dirty ice. Ciggie butts are still concentrated at bus stops, bar entrances, the sidewalk in front of apartment buildings, grassy parks, etc. I’m always coming across butts on the grass at Parc Jeanne Mance.
What’s really disgusting are cigarette butts on the beach. There are good citizens doing beach clean up collecting garbage bags full of butts.
If dog walkers can carry poo bags when they’re out, smokers should be carrying portable ashtrays with them. It really should be the next hot trend.
EG 10:40 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
Considering the number of poo bags I see just lying around, it seems quite a few dog walkers are as bad as smokers throwing butts on the ground.
Ian 17:19 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
As neither a smoker nor a dog owner, I would way rather see, smell, or step in cigarette debris than dogshit. There are fewer smokers every year, too – bit seemingly more and more poorly trained dogs, especially since covid.
EG 17:26 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
And maybe more poorly-trained dog owners as well. Though dog owners have been leaving those dogshit bags around before the pandemic as well.
There’s a sports centre near me and there’s a line of spruce trees in back of it. You wouldn’t believe how many bags of dog poo get thrown under those trees.
dhomas 19:24 on 2023-06-08 Permalink
What I don’t understand is if you go to the trouble to pick up the poop in a bag, why stop halfway and throw the bag somewhere it doesn’t belong? At that point, just leave the shit where the dog made it, no?
walkerp 07:59 on 2023-06-09 Permalink
dhomas, it’s because they are far away from a trash receptacle and don’t want to carry around a bag of poop. Some people put them down with the intent of picking them up on the way out (if it is a loop trail). Sometimes they do actually pick them up on the way out.
EG 08:57 on 2023-06-09 Permalink
I think the “logic” behind people leaving the poo bags around is that if your dog poops, that takes at least a few seconds, and people are going to easily notice if you don’t pick it up in a bag. Whereas leaving a poo bag on the ground only takes a second and can be done quickly so nobody will see that it’s you who’s doing it.
Not making excuses, just trying to understand why people might do that.