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People come up with all kinds of justifications for littering. When I worked with teenagers I had to repeatedly tell them that just because something was biodegradable doesn't mean you can just throw it wherever. Aside from concerns about attracting unwanted animals, this picnic spot wouldn't be as nice if there were apple cores and sandwich scraps everywhere. And then there are people who feel entitled to a garbage can and think littering is acceptable if adequate facilities aren't provided. One of the enduring images in Pittsburgh lore is the aftermath of the 2013 Kenny Chesney concert, when crews had to remove an estimated 30 tons of trash from parking lots adjacent to
Heinz FieldAcrisure Stadium. The images of lots that looked like landfills were all over the local news and there was plenty of outrage over people's ignorance. But there were some quarters who blamed the parking authorities for not providing enough dumpsters. I called bullshit on this because unless you're tailgating right next to the dumpster, you'll need a bag anyway, and if you have a bag, then you can take it home with you. Yet I still got pushback from some people who thought this was an entirely unreasonable proposition.More options
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