What Will Never Cease to Amaze Me
I've reconciled myself to the fact that most smokers don't seem to regard their cigarette butts as trash, but instead throw them on the sidewalk or in the street when they've taken their last puff. (Though I was incredibly touched recently, when out with some guys from work I discovered that they'd all taken up smoking -- that wasn't the touching part; they were all over-stressed from working late nights and weekends -- and when they were done with their cigarettes, they each of them walked to the nearest trash can, stubbed it out, and put it in.)
I'm even over the fact that people spit their gum out on the sidewalk, leaving it to be stepped in by the next person who walks by. The black blobs the size of a Oreo you see on every sidewalk, street and subway platform? Those are all from people spitting out their gum. Don't ever contemplate how many there are; on an average block there are hundreds. If I were capable of being amazed by this, I would be amazed that a) so many people chew gum in the first place, and b) that so many people think it's okay to spit it out where they stand rather than wait to get to a trash can, of which there is one on practically every street corner. Oh, you say you have a job interview in this building in the middle of the block, and you're worried there won't be a place to throw out your gum before you get up to reception? That's what the tissue in your pocket is for. Or the corner torn from one of the five extra copies of your resume you brought with you, which, I can assure you, no one in that office building will want to see.
But I'm, uh, over that. No, the thing that will never cease to amaze me is that smokers, when they have taken their last puff will not only throw the butt on the sidewalk, but fling it out to the side, or behind them (as happened to me on my walk to work today, and yes, I realize that not everyone does this), still lit.
Don't mind me, or my coat, or my hand, or my EYE, Mr. Smoker Man. You just get that butt away from you as fast and as far as you can.
I'm even over the fact that people spit their gum out on the sidewalk, leaving it to be stepped in by the next person who walks by. The black blobs the size of a Oreo you see on every sidewalk, street and subway platform? Those are all from people spitting out their gum. Don't ever contemplate how many there are; on an average block there are hundreds. If I were capable of being amazed by this, I would be amazed that a) so many people chew gum in the first place, and b) that so many people think it's okay to spit it out where they stand rather than wait to get to a trash can, of which there is one on practically every street corner. Oh, you say you have a job interview in this building in the middle of the block, and you're worried there won't be a place to throw out your gum before you get up to reception? That's what the tissue in your pocket is for. Or the corner torn from one of the five extra copies of your resume you brought with you, which, I can assure you, no one in that office building will want to see.
But I'm, uh, over that. No, the thing that will never cease to amaze me is that smokers, when they have taken their last puff will not only throw the butt on the sidewalk, but fling it out to the side, or behind them (as happened to me on my walk to work today, and yes, I realize that not everyone does this), still lit.
Don't mind me, or my coat, or my hand, or my EYE, Mr. Smoker Man. You just get that butt away from you as fast and as far as you can.
posted by Excellent Walker at 9:28 AM
1 Comments:
AND, they do it right in front of me as I am walking my dog, never mind that he could step on a lit butt and really hurt his foot. In fact, it happened once a long time ago.
I've become even more violently opposed to smoking than I ever was.
I hate people.
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