Minor Details

I noticed something curious today. No, not the hazy sky - not quite as smokey today, but still enough to dry my throat. It was signs. Signs that are seen in most cities. As is usual we are admonished by signs to usually ‘don’t do’ something.

In relation to the concerns that many have about people throwing cigarette butts carelessly out a window or casually when walking from here to there, I thought about two specific sorts of signs ~ the ‘pick up your dog’s poop’ sign and the ‘no smoking' signs.

The ‘pick up your dog’s poop' signs, worded much more delicately than that are usually positioned near a garbage or in the case of the lovely one at Shoal Point, even have their own little garbage bin.  Not only that there are little metal boxes holding plastic bags in case you’ve accidentally forgotten your own plastic doggy doo-doo bag. Shame to the dog owner that ignores the citizenry with such a foul smelling and really gross mess.

The ‘no smoking’ signs, a burning cigarette with a red slash across are positioned where cars are parked or at a park sidewalk entrance. There are no receptacles below them to ‘butt out’ before stepping into dry grass. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

I do believe, quite honestly, that preventing even a small fire let alone a forest fire is rather important.  Just ask the citizens of Barriere, B.C. in 2003 who lost their homes because of a cigarette butt tossed away. I also believe that stripping our earthly home of houses, barns, sheds, trees, vegetation, health, lives and livelihoods take precedence over offending our olfactory sensibilities (and the soles of our shoes).  

Do I see any problems that could come of such little receptacles? Yes, especially for those that search for cigarette butts to smoke.  (You don’t see anyone pawing through garbage for little bags of poop.)

But the damage done to lives impacted by fire, whether a devastating urban fire or a forest fire is far more than just a problem.

“When something is important enough, 

you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”

~ Elon Musk