Museum of Litter

The Bradenton Butt

 

At a BP gas station on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton, FL: A couple drove up to a pump and both opened their car doors.  The man got out of the passenger side with difficulty as he maneuvered his cane and the door with a lit cigarette in his hand. As soon as he cleared the door, he pitched the cigarette butt to the pavement and stepped on it. Thankfully he extinguished the butt -- after all, we were at a gas station! He was a nice guy, and offered a friendly greeting. Disarmed by his disability and niceness I was momentarily mute, however, neither is an excuse for littering. By then he had already gone inside the service station. I hesitated for a moment, then went over to his open window and left a Thank You for your Donation to the Museum of Litter card on his passenger seat. Wish I could have been a fly on the dashboard to see his reaction and hear their conversation. Dear nice guy: if you're reading this,  please let me know what you think.

Museum of Kitty Litter? I don't think so!

 

Was at the AAA Office in Bradenton, FL. After getting a few maps, I mentioned to the woman at the counter something I had seen in the parking lot. I handed her my card telling her I was from the Museum of Litter and had seen one of those plastic outdoor Cigarette Butt receptacles laying on its side in the landscaping. A sign at the entrance to AAA states there is no smoking inside. "What chance is there a smoker will dispose of their butt properly if there is no ashtray in site near the door?" I asked, and wanted her to know where the receptacle had ended up.  As I was speaking, she got a quizzical look, burst out laughing hysterically, and admitted, "Oh! I thought you were talking about a Museum of Kitty Litter."

 

Sometimes when I mention Museum of Litter I get a blank look. Do you think they also think kitty litter? I just thought that maybe litter wasn't a pet peeve of theirs and they didn't relate. Guess I will have to be more specific.

The Dolphin & Starbucks Litter

On Naples (FL) beach watched a dolphin frolic in the Gulf waters. The beach was relatively clean but couldn't help but notice the clear plastic Starbucks cup. We need to keep the litter off the beach and out of the water if we want to protect these beautiful creatures from ourselves.