As the average British train journey takes more than an hour each day, eating or drinking on the way is quite common – and widely accepted as long as there is no smelly food included.
But what do people do with theirs? coffee cups or fresh packets when they run out is where the conflict starts to arise.
More than a quarter (27%) of respondents from y food earlier this year said they were frustrated by litter left on board, making it one of the country’s top transport ‘concerns’, just after bare beat AND double bags.
There is no shortage of people sharing their frustration with these passengers – who subway called ‘dumpers’ — even on the Internet.
In one last post on redditsomeone who hadn’t spent much time in the UK asked if littering on trains was as normalized as it seemed here, prompting hundreds of angry comments.
“I always (pick up after myself) but I always go to find a table full of junk,” wrote Alarmed_Crazy488 “It’s common, but it’s crazy.”
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“Disgusted at how rude people are in public,” said another user, picklespark, while OptionalQuality789 added: “It’s a complete lack of respect for everyonenot just the cleaning staff.’
Commenters also shared stories of being called ‘dumpers’, condemning them as ‘pigs’, ‘degenerates’, ‘scum’ or more profanity-laden names you can probably come up with yourself.
Although some argued their behavior was justified by the lack of bins across the country’s public transport network, figures from Network Rail, TfL and major rail operators suggest most stations and trains have some sort of waste disposal facility.
What do you think about people who leave their waste on public transport?
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It’s rude and disrespectful.
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I think it is acceptable if there are no bins available.
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Depending on the type of waste, small items may be fine.
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I don’t mind as long as it is left in an easily accessible way.
And even if the bins are not readily available (as in countries where they have been removed as an anti-terrorism measure), the fact is that it is still a littering offense under the Environment Protection Act 1990 and the UK Rail Regulations.
Despite this, Keep your search in Britain organized reveals more than 3.7 million (7%) Britons have left litter at a train or bus station in the last 12 months, not only adding to the workload of cleaning staff but potentially creating hazards and disruption.
“Leaving coffee cups, fast food packaging or newspapers on trains can lead to items getting stuck in doors or falling onto the tracks.” London Underground officials warned earlier.
As part of a 2012 campaign to reduce litter-related incidents, the Tube operator aimed to help passengers understand the impact of litter. But that’s not the only issue of perception at play here.
According to a recent Northern Rail survey, most regular train users do not actually consider used coffee cups left on board as litter, while a special study shows that young people believe that placing litter on a surface (rather than throwing it on the ground) does not constitute littering.
Consciously or unconsciously, ‘dumpers’ may also see their mess as someone else’s problem, potentially even reasoning that it ‘gives the scavengers something to do’.
Either way, it’s a case of prioritizing your personal comfort over the public good – and a surefire way to gain attention from other passengers and staff.
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