Owensboro, Why Do We Have So Much Litter on Our Streets? [Photos]

My friend Kim Jagoe went out for her daily walk Monday morning.  On those walks, she has committed herself to picking up trash she sees along the way.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I think Kim's goals are honorable and I appreciate, very much, the fact that she is willing to do it.  But this is ridiculous.

That bag of trash represents what Kim picked up Monday morning and, well, she didn't walk that far.  She posted, "This is the bag from this morning, only from Griffith to Parrish, on Walnut and a few houses facing Parrish."  That's a rather limited coverage area, but this is the amount of trash on her route.

Kim then listed the contents of the trash bag: face masks, cigarette butts, soda bottles, newspapers, napkins, food containers and yes, more cigarette butts.  Kim then added, "I'll never understand anyone thinking this is okay."

It's interesting.  I was literally thinking about this a few days ago when I went running on the Greenbelt.  There was a lot of trash along the way.   Honestly, I encounter it every time I run whether it's on the Greenbelt or the side streets I take to get to it.  Like Kim, I see my fair share of face masks (that's a rather new development, of course) and fast food containers, but I also see, routinely, empty bottles of energy drinks and, even more oddly, those little single-serving liquor bottles.  I mean, who's drinking the solo shots of Fireball and launching the empty bottles to the curb?

And what's even more crazy about the litter along the Greenbelt is this.  There are plenty of trash cans, including some like this that basically beg, implore park-goers to throw their trash away instead of on the ground.

I appreciate Kim's commitment to the cause.  I'll be honest.  I have never thought of taking that approach, but maybe I should.  Maybe we all should.  Or, maybe the folks who are just throwing their trash onto the ground should just stop.  If that doesn't (or won't) happen, I suppose we'll all have to follow Kim's lead and advice.  "When you take a walk, grab a bag."