Trash along 30A Bike Path

**jnealy** · 06-19-2012, 03:48 PM

I walk the bike path along 30A with my dogs every day, and most of the time I end up with a beer bottle in my hand. Not because I'm having too much fun on my walks, but because I am constantly picking up trash off of the path. In addition to beer bottles and cans, I've picked up plastic bags, food containers, coffee cups, cigarette boxes, water bottles, and even various pieces of clothing. Every single day I pick up trash, and yet it just keeps coming back. I'm relatively new to the area, so I was wondering - Is there any type of organized community trash pick-up day along 30A and the bike path? Do you think there would be any interest in an event like this? And has anyone suggested/considered one of those road sponsorship programs, where groups can “adopt” a section of the road and then be responsible for keeping that area trash free? I’d love to help get something like this started if it hasn’t been done before. Thoughts?

**Zebraspots** · 06-19-2012, 05:06 PM

Sheriff work crews and a mini streetsweeper go through regularly to clean it up, but people are such slobs that it gets filthy again in a matter of hours or days.

Would love to get people to actually throw their trash away instead of just throwing it!

**surferjoet** · 06-19-2012, 07:55 PM

On the west end of 30A there is a banana peel bandit, that throws out or drops a banana peel daily on the sidewalk between Butler and Stinkys!!!!
Drives me NUTS !!!!!!
Okay so it's supposedly biodegradable but a few feet left or right and it wouldn't be in the middle of the sidewalk..

I support a community sidewalk clean up day

**Shells** · 06-20-2012, 01:25 PM

Ok, so you've probably heard that problems don't go away unless you deal with the root of the problem. Well, same applies here. To really fix this issue, the trashers have to be caught and punished. Otherwise, no matter how much work others do, there will always be trash. And.....is it really fair for others to pick up some lazy butts garbage? I guess if you make it a paid job, those people wouldn't mind, but they could never get all the trash if we keep letting the disrespectful people drop their filth here.
I don't mind picking up others' trash at times to keep the area clean and I do. Sometimes trash blows out of cars or garbage cans, etc. and not out of intention from someone, but if we have to organize a group and make it a regular thing, I've got better things to do. Not that I'm for leaving the garbage, but I'm for PREVENTION!!!
I also can't stand to see cigarette butts on the sides of the road. Check out http://www.cigarettelitter.org/.
I wish people would establish more ways of prevention and punishment such as fines and jail time (1 night would be enough)! If we can put up cameras at red lights and then mail out tickets to people who run them, why can't we put up cameras to catch pedestrians littering? Or we could put up signs along the bike path that address those who litter with "trash talk", like "Dear Garbage Dropper, please keep your filth to yourself.", or "Dear Stinky, 30A is not your garbage can.". I don't know....something!
People keep littering because they can. Nothing is being done to stop them. It would be nice if everyone was mature and respectful, but the truth is some are heartless and disgusting.

**jnealy** · 06-20-2012, 07:19 PM

Shells, I completely agree that the root of the issue is the people throwing out the trash, but I honestly don't know how that problem can effectively be solved. Every time I bend down to pick up a piece of trash, I hope that maybe, just maybe, someone driving by notices me doing that and will think twice before throwing trash out of their window. A pipe dream, I'm sure, but a girl can dream. I guess I thought if there were well-publicized community pick-up days, that maybe that would also make some people think twice.

I do like your idea about the signs! On that note, I've also noticed that the only public trash cans are located at beach access points. On 30-A west of Grayton, there aren't any public access points, therefore no trash cans. When we used to walk that section and needed a trash can, we'd have to carry it all the way home.

Zebraspots - do you know how often the sheriff's work crews are out? In my 9 months of living here, I've never seen that.

Just a few minutes ago on my afternoon walk I filled up a whole plastic bag full of trash on the short distance from the Bramble Grove beach access to the Pelayo beach access - maybe a tenth of a mile.

**Teresa** · 06-21-2012, 09:45 AM

Maybe it's time for the County to institute a Keep SoWal Beautiful campaign.

Meanwhile, thanks to beach and bike path walkers who care and clean. It
Is a great community service.

**bluecat** · 06-21-2012, 11:38 PM

Several years ago, a small town close where I live let it be known if one was caught littering ,they would be fined. To this day people still heed that warning. Might work down there . Itoo pick up trash when I'm there and I hate that some will trash any thing.

**kurt** · 06-22-2012, 06:28 AM

Thanks to the two elderly gentlemen picking up trash on Scenic 30A at Deer Lake yesterday. Friends of Deer Lake State Park maybe?

**30A Skunkape** · 06-22-2012, 06:32 AM

No more signs, people ignore them anyway.
I say erect stocks and pillory in Seaside and humilate litterbugs. We could get a politician to name them the Charlie Modica It's Hard To Be Hospitable When You Throw Crap On the Bike Path Memorial Stocks and Pillory. The Seaside School kids could build them out of reclaimed lumber and paint whimsical scenes on them...

**Beach Runner** · 06-22-2012, 09:30 AM

I've run/walked the bike path in Seagrove/Seaside many times. There are not enough trash cans for public use along the way. There are tons of trash cans along the way that have signs that say something like "For use by the residents of [fill in the blank] only." I'm in South Walton a lot, and I have never witnessed anyone through trash out of the window of a vehicle. But I know that happens.

No more signs. People who are gonna litter are gonna litter, regardless of signs.

There was a boating event in our town last summer. The amount of trash in our yards was unbelievable. There were a lot of fast-food bags and cups in our yards -- they were thrown from vehicles because who would eat fast food and then bother to stop and put the trash in their boat? What was disturbing was all of the stuff that apparently blew out of boats being towed. There were styrofoam coolers, floats, and even kiddie swimming pools in our yards! One of our neighbors had a sign made that says, "Please do not litter my neighborhood." Guess whose yard gets littered the most. He still has that sign in his yard.

**Zebraspots** · 06-22-2012, 03:17 PM

I don't think more trash cans will solve the problem. People litter NEXT to my trash cans.

What trash is generated while using the path that cannot be carried to the nearest trash receptacle or to one's destination for disposal?

**Beach Runner** · 06-22-2012, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Zebraspots

I don't think more trash cans will solve the problem. People litter NEXT to my trash cans.

What trash is generated while using the path that cannot be carried to the nearest trash receptacle or to one's destination for disposal?

True. I have a belly bag (so 1990s) that has a spot for a water bottle. When I finish the water, I just put the empty bottle back into my bag.

I dunno the solution. Argh!

**Miss Kitty** · 06-22-2012, 10:57 PM

Hello...TDC????

**Beachlover2** · 06-23-2012, 09:37 AM

No signs please - I consider them just another form of ugly litter.

**Jim Tucker** · 06-23-2012, 10:35 AM

Agreed - notice the explosion of sandwich board signs in SoWal?

**Teresa** · 06-24-2012, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by jim45

Agreed - notice the explosion of sandwich board signs in SoWal?

not to mention the explosion of new businesses... businesses need to get the word out on the street -sandwich boards are easy and portable - they work well. and I hear business is very good.

**seacrestmary** · 06-24-2012, 05:38 PM

The 'elderly' gentlemen are part of a group of 6-7 people that works each Thursday to clean the beaches, paths, and roadway at Deer Lake State Park. We also do projects within the park under the direction of our park ranger.
We know that we can't do all of 30-A but we do our little part.
It really is satisfying to help keep our little part of this beautiful place clean.
Suggestion: form your own little group and adopt an area. It is good exercise with good friends for a good purpose.

**NotDeadYet** · 06-25-2012, 05:30 AM

I wonder how old one has to be before Kurt considers you 'elderly?'

Well, thanks to the group for all your work. Elderly or not.

**tistheseason** · 06-25-2012, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by seacrestmary

The 'elderly' gentlemen are part of a group of 6-7 people that works each Thursday to clean the beaches, paths, and roadway at Deer Lake State Park. We also do projects within the park under the direction of our park ranger.
We know that we can't do all of 30-A but we do our little part.
It really is satisfying to help keep our little part of this beautiful place clean.
Suggestion: form your own little group and adopt an area. It is good exercise with good friends for a good purpose.

I love this! Many thanks to this group!!

**kurt** · 06-25-2012, 07:37 AM

Thank Mary!

**kurt** · 06-25-2012, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

I wonder how old one has to be before Kurt considers you 'elderly?'

Well, thanks to the group for all your work. Elderly or not.

I suppose the PC term is "seniors" - oh well they looked like old farts to me. Also quite sweaty.

Thanks to the OTP (Old Trash Patrol)!

**bluecat** · 06-25-2012, 10:15 AM

If we live long enough ,all of us will someday be old farts. Seems these old farts are picking up after the never been taught to not litter younger farts.

**Joyce Owen** · 06-25-2012, 12:03 PM

I'm always impressed that our winter visitors do a good job of helping out with clean up on our beaches, bike path, wherever they are. I see many of them walking along with a trash bag in one hand, stopping frequently to pick up what others have carelessly tossed away.
Of course, there are many people here all thru the year that are good caretakers of our beautiful area.
I wish there was a way to stop littering, but don't see a way that would be effective.
I do wonder if those new solar trash cans the TDC put on the beach would be such a novel idea that people might use them. Not sure if it would be cost effective all along the bike path, but it doesn't hurt to consider it.