Open Writing

I have corrupted the word “oblivions” in my title to provide a collective name for a large group of American citizens who appear to be totally unaware of their own antisocial behavior. That is, they are either ignorant, or believe that rules and standards don’t apply to themselves, only to the rest of us. Chief among them are the litterers.

Daily, I am appalled at the litter in supermarket parking lots, in the streets, in parks, major highways, beaches, and in most public places, and it’s getting worse by the year. Why is it that people think it’s OK to toss their unwanted trash, and to expect others to clean up after them? What they don’t seem to realize is that the clean up costs money, and that the money is coming out of their taxes, and could be better spent on education, libraries, or road improvement etc.

Some states employ convict labor to pick up the roadside trash drivers fling from their cars, which is acceptable I suppose, but wouldn’t it be better if those prisoners were employed in some, more constructive endeavor? Many towns have an “Adopt a Road” program, where local groups and organizations volunteer to do clean up. Isn’t it ironic that one half of the population is picking up after the other?

Many highways have signs indicating a littering fine of around $250, but it doesn’t seem to deter people. I have even seen mattresses dumped at the side of the road. I suppose the old adage “Never make a law that cannot be enforced” holds true here.” I sometimes wonder what the Oblivions think would be the outcome if nobody cleaned up their mess. But then, Oblivions don’t think.

Akin to littering is the filthy habit of chewing gum. Actually it’s not the chewing that offends me, though it doesn’t do much for the chewer’s image. What I object to is the discarding of the gum when the flavor has gone, by dropping it wherever the individual happens to be standing. Station platforms, the areas outside stores, shopping malls and airport concourses are all defaced by the gum chewers’ droppings. Have you ever tried to remove gum from your shoe sole or the carpet in your car? It’s impossible. Nothing touches it. Some say putting ice cubes on it works, but it doesn’t.

Oblivions consider themselves above the law, and pay no heed to regulations. Many states now have a law prohibiting the use of cell phones when driving, which the Oblivions choose to ignore. They continue to conduct their imperative business and social lives while weaving erratically through traffic, running red lights, and throwing the rest of us into confusion by their distracted behavior. Recently I read of a car accident involving a young woman who was texting while driving, and at the same time tending to the needs of her infant child!

I have noticed that Oblivions also have difficulty reading, or if not that, then in interpreting what they read. Simple phrases like “No Parking,” or “Do Not Block Driveway” go right over their heads. Village ponds in some parts of America are plagued with Canada geese, whose droppings pollute the water and kill the surrounding grass. Large signs say “Do Not Feed the Geese,” but hardly a day goes by without parents bringing their children to do just that.

The smoker Oblivions drive me crazy. They fling their glowing butt-ends out of the car window, or stub them out in the ashtray and empty out the full ashtray in a parking lot. Then there’s the “Flicker,” who sits at the traffic light, arm dangling out of the window, constantly flicking the ash, caring not whether it blows into adjacent cars or flies in the face of a motorcyclist.

Probably the most infuriating Oblivions are those that ignore or cannot understand road construction signs that say “Lane Closed – Merge Ahead. The signs begin at least a mile before the merge, starting with “Reduce Speed Construction Ahead.” This is followed by a succession of signs starting with “Lane Closed 1000ft Ahead,” then “500 ft Ahead,” and so on. If you’re a responsible citizen you pulled over at the first sign, or as soon after as you could, only to have to watch the Oblivions pass you at highway speed right up to the lane closure, and then muscle their way into your lane.

My favorite, personal Oblivion story took place outside a popular restaurant one lunchtime. Behind a sign at the entrance that said, “Please wait in line to be seated,” a line of perhaps fifteen or twenty hungry people had formed. A man walked down the line to the sign, studied it for a while, then asked the leading person “Is this a line for the restaurant?” To which came the sardonic reply, “No, we’re just a group of people who get a kick out of waiting in line.”

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