THE GIFT I GAVE THE CIGARETTE BUTT LITTERER

 

Sipping coffee at a window seat at Beach Diner in Atlantic Beach, FL, my attention was drawn to a man standing outside waiting for a table. He was wearing a neon orange Gator tee shirt and had walked away from his wife to have a smoke. I wondered what he would do with the butt.

 

I continued to watch until he took the last puff and tossed it on the ground -- 3 feet from a cigarette butt receptacle!

 

 

Oh geez. What to do?

 

Flying out of the restaurant like a banshee seemed wrong. His weathered face looked permanently pissed off ..... like he was ready to pick a fight. To complete the ornery look he was wearing a Rebel Flag baseball cap. 

 

Honestly, I was afraid to walk up to him and start a conversation. I enjoyed my breakfast, but couldn't stop thinking about him and kept wondering, "What can I do to educate him without alienating him?"

 

Finally, I had an answer: the Museum of Litter would treat him to breakfast. A Beach Diner gift certificate was delivered to his table anonymously with the following note:

 

 

I later added a PS that told him I'd thrown the butt away for him. Also included was a Museum of Litter "Thank You" card explaining how long it takes commonly littered items to decompose (if ever) and how they pollute our waters and maim/kill wildlife. 

 

 

(If you'd like some of these cards they're on the Museum of Litter website and you can download them here for FREE).

 

Boy! Don't you wish you could have heard the conversation at his table? I sure do. And, I'd love to hear what you think. Do you think he got the message? What would you have done?