Trash everywhere

Is it me or is Long Island absolutely filthy? Amid the beauty and history here are streets, parks, highways, shopping centers, etc. full of litter. Paper, cans, boxes, bottles are everywhere. Time and time again I have seen LIers throw garbage from their vehicles giving me the impression that they just don't care about their surroundings. And it seems to be getting worse.

The town agencies, although seeming to be slow to respond, probably can't keep up. Many times I have seen the LIE being cleaned up only to have it filthy again just days later.

I enoy the outdoors but it's getting difficult to do so when I am surrounded by trash.

Am I the only one who sees this? What can be done?

It's embarrassing...

Re: Trash everywhere

What town is this? Are you refering to the whole "long island" which includes the 5 boros? Not all of LI is as you described, all looks good over in Lynbrook...

Re: Trash everywhere

Re: Trash everywhere

i dont see it in my neighborhood.

interesting first post though

Re: Trash everywhere

That's an incredibly strange first post, if I may say so.

Re: Trash everywhere

Posted by Danamz

Posted by aliasPook

Are you refering to the whole "long island" which includes the 5 boros?

The 5 boroughs were never part of LI, although Queens is on the same island - still not part of Long Island.

In response to the OP, I feel this way about much of NYC AND LI

Re: Trash everywhere

BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND took place in Prospect Park, Brooklyn... (and I am still a Brooklyn girl at heart...!)

When it's mapped, it's just one big happy Island!

Was not implying that the city is completely filthy, jsut wondering where he was driving through...


Hmmmm.....

Re: Trash everywhere

Re: Trash everywhere

To answer the question, yes, it's filthy. DH grew up in Queens and Long Island, and for 6 years in the late 90's up until 2001 we lived in MA just outside of Boston and the one thing we noticed whenever we came back which was a few times a month, was that MA was sooooo much cleaner than LI. Here we see so much garbage dumped around - from the matresses and appliances in the woods along the road leading to my job, to fast food wrappers, to loads of cigarette buts on the roadside at stop lights. We have commented more than once that LI is filthy compared to MA.

Re: Trash everywhere

Yes, it is just you.

Re: Trash everywhere

Posted by Meaghan729

Posted by Danamz

Posted by aliasPook

Are you refering to the whole "long island" which includes the 5 boros?

The 5 boroughs were never part of LI, although Queens is on the same island - still not part of Long Island.

In response to the OP, I feel this way about much of NYC AND LI

if you look at a map of LI, Queens and Brooklyn are a part of Long Island (geographically)

politically, they are part of NYC - so you can argue it either way. I dont have to take a bridge to get to queens- its on the same island

Re: Trash everywhere

Hmmmmm........ part of me wants to be nice and say hi to the newbie, but part of me wants to say if you don't like it, then why are you here? It's not like you are getting a break on taxes or anything living here.

Re: Trash everywhere

Give a hoot! Don't pollute!

I think this post was written by Woodsy Owl

Re: Trash everywhere

Posted by mrswask

Give a hoot! Don't pollute!

I think this post was written by Woodsy Owl

Message edited 4/1/2007 9:24:32 PM.

Re: Trash everywhere

Posted by Meaghan729

i dont see it in my neighborhood.

interesting first post though

Re: Trash everywhere

Posted by mrswask

Give a hoot! Don't pollute!

I think this post was written by Woodsy Owl

Re: Trash everywhere

In defense to our state, I have been to quite a few others, OMG!!! INCLUDING FLORIDA!!!! yes, yes people... there IS trash in Florida! lol...

It's people in general, not in just Americans or NY'ers...

Been to China, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico...etc... people are pigs all over. Not just in LI.

And as far as LI, I have to say that my street is cleaned a few times a weeks. It's annoying to hear the him drive past my bedroom window at 5am, but my street is immaculate... been to worse places...

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Re: Trash everywhere

Yes, I've noticed it. Vet's Highway, Sunrise Highway, 231 going into Park Ave. and Route 101 just to name a few off the top of my head.
It's probably the same lazy a$$ people who shove their shopping carts against or behind other cars in the parking lot because they can't walk their fat butts 15 yards to a cart corral or take the cart back to the front of the store.

Re: Trash everywhere

Thank you! Judging by some of the follow-up posts people either live in very small clean areas surrounded by filthy ones or they just don't notice it.

The filth seems to be everywhere. Port Jefferson, Coram, Hauppauge, Smithtown, Islip, Commack, Selden, Centereach, Shirley - the list goes on and on.

Even my six year old daughter whom we've taught not to take her surroundings for granted notices people littering.

"Look daddy - that person just dumped a bag out of his car. A litterbug!"

"Yes honey, they are."

Breaks my heart.

I can deal with LI's high prices, outrageous taxes, giant potholes on the roads. But the general disregard for the environment - unacceptable. It's not that difficult to throw your trash away properly. Should be second nature. Not here, apparently.

Please - let's all teach our children not to litter. This generation didn't seem to learn this lesson.

Maybe they can clean this place up...

Re: Trash everywhere

I live in an incorporated villiage that has its own sanitation trucks. It is rare that I see garbage around homes and people are pretty compliant with rules. You get fined heavily if you don't.

As far as people throwing things out of car windows and what not on the LIE and various roadways... if the authorities arent pulling people over for not having car seats for children, what makes us think they will pull us over for dumping a McDonald's bag out the window? The signs are up - the rules need to be enforced. Perhaps that would be a deterrent to littering.

Message edited 4/1/2007 9:50:19 PM.

Re: Trash everywhere

Then you can go to NJ and start cleaning up there, then hit PA and every other state. All we can do it teach our children NOT TO do this and set an example-and keep our property clean, hoping our neighbors will do the same, but unfortunately it's everywhere, not just in LI. I am not goign to run to move bc of litter (robbers, and rapists and pedophiles, yes!!! Fortunately, they have a website to track those...). I can only hope that everyine else will do the same.

Please do not generalize LI. Generalize "most people" as pigs bc it's not just here, it's everywhere.

And yes, I DO live in a small town. Yes, my taxes are ridiculous, but I could be in a worse place!

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I agree with the OP. I feel it's gotten worse on LI. Now whether that's due to the increase in population or people have just become more complacent, I don't know, but I do find it disappointing.

I'm always in shock when I see people toss garbage out the windows. I just don't understand the mentality.

Re: Trash everywhere

Don't hate it here - in fact I love it. It would be so much nicer for all of us if people would dispose of the garbage properly. It's not that difficult a thing to do.

Yes LI is not the only place on earth with a litter problem. Fortunately I do get to travel on business and pleasure quite a bit and I have noticed some unsightly areas but would say that overall LI has a bigger than average problem - at least in the US.

Don't care about other places and their "pigs". I care about LI. This is where we live and that's why it should be important to us.

Oh and by the way my neighborhood is very clean. It's when I leave the development that it goes downhill.

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I travel quite a bit too and I can understand how you are concerned, but I rather disagree... I think LI is cleaner than most places and countries I have been to... there filthy parts, but fortunately I do not live there. Look at the amount of people that live here and realize it's not as bad as you are making it out.