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"Excuse Me, I Think You Dropped Something"

My work commute is not much more than 10 miles, but invariably during that morning stretch I witness at least once, someone tossing their cigarette butts out the car window. Maybe it is a lot of pent up frustration since the number of public places available for their habits is shrinking, and maybe so far that the last refuge is their car.

News flash- the world is certainly not your ash tray.

But one of these days when I am bicycle commuting I dream of the day it happens next to me at a stop light, so I can bend down, pick up the smoldering butt and toss it back in their car. "Excuse me, but you seemed to have dropped something important!" I would say with a smile.

Not likely! considering how many drivers in Phoenix not only are talking on the phone while driving, but more likely, are packing a loaded gun. This is the Wild West after all.

But now I came across a new option. Arizona Clean and Beautiful has a web form where you can submit a report (and today I got a plate number to give it a whirl) and who knows, maybe they will send the polluter a nasty letter (well not the greatest web form, it uses a mailto: link to submit the form, yikes!). I recall seeing similar programs in ??Australia ??New Zealand back when I was traveling there in 2000- billboards where you could "dob in" a litterbug.

It's utterly doubtful a letter would change a smoker's habits, but that daydream of tossing lit butts back in to an offenders smoke filled auto chamber-- makes for a nice mental visual.