Since I have started my Bluff to Cape Reinga journey on recumbent trike, I have seen a lot of rubbish on the roadsides.
Lot of it is things which have dropped out of vehicles like car parts, tyre shreads from trucks, bungee cords, nuts, bolts and various metal bits which are dropped accidentally.
What bugs me is the amount of rubbish thrown out intentionally. Main culprits seems to be people who eat junk food. Mac Donalds and KFC are the worst. Then there are all sorts of things like broken car stereos, CDs, pieces of clothing, shoes and plastic bags full of rubbish.
Least but not last are the cattle truck drivers who release the holding tanks on uphills. I was on the Spooners Hill on SH1 couple days ago and for couple kilometres there was a massive trace of cow effluent spread on the roadside. Obviously repeat offender as the grass had grown fast on the roadside and smell was overpowering.
So Clean Green New Zealand is a myth invented by travel agents who themselves would fly over NZ and would not be able to spot all that rubbish on the road level. Neither many car driver see that as they go so fast.
franko171,
May 31, 9:58am
hows the trip going !
pollymay,
May 31, 10:06am
Someone hasn't been to russia and the likes. I clean outside my place but I dunno about the middle of nowhere type places, just stick your hand up and do it yourself. No point putting the finger round cause it ain't gunna clean itself, make a tour out of it and take donations or something, I'd throw into the hat if I saw someone doing it.
gadgetman,
May 31, 10:06am
I am doing good considering the bad weather. Yesterday I arrived to Waiouru and got the best bucket collection for my charity this far thanks to some motorcyclists who stopped for a lunch. What really bugs me are those drivers who toot their horns too close to my ears. My ears are ringing afterward and I am considering wearing earplugs. That would stop me hearing the trucks perhaps :(
gadgetman,
May 31, 10:12am
I have been to Russia and needed to find the toilet. I asked a taxi driver and he pointed to the bushes!
The councils could employ somebody to walk with rubbish bags and pick up the junk.
I have found some useful items like tie down strap which was virtually new, but I have to be there before the lawnmover crew has shredded everything to bits ;)
rod525,
May 31, 10:25am
I am more than happy with my air horns.
johnf_456,
May 31, 11:25am
I say this would be a great job for prisoners to do their bit for society, chain gangs and make them work.
franko171,
May 31, 12:00pm
when r u passing the waikato and what areas cheers and good luck
net_oz,
May 31, 12:09pm
Get the crims out there in pink overalls picking up the rubbish. Great community work project.
bjmh,
May 31, 12:20pm
yep thats what i do every weekend clean up bottles etc by my workshop,no use moaning .but roadsides around here are like the local tip,go for a holiday in Fiji and see the mess
chutneyman,
May 31, 12:29pm
The council shouldnt employ some one to pick up rubbish.We have plenty of scum in our prisons that should be shackled and walking the roadside picking up rubbish, and if a large truck just happens to run down a gangmember inmate, its just too bad, Hes a piece of rubbish any way !
lalbagh,
May 31, 12:36pm
you should try some of the rural roads around Waitakere- whole truckloads or trailerloads of domestic rubbish dumped down roadside embankments at night. Prime example is Drower Road, at least two huge mounds of rubbish tipped off the roadside. Urbanites too lazy to take it to the landfill, or perhaps too miserly to pay the exorbitant tipping fees.
321mat,
May 31, 12:39pm
I hate "people" who litter along the sides of the roads.
I need to drive more than 1000km each week, and it is nothing but a bloody eyesore.
They are just bloody w*nkers.
321mat,
May 31, 12:40pm
Oh, and it's not just our fellow New Zealanders, either. The tourists are just as bad.
Especially the Krauts in camper vans.
321mat,
May 31, 12:43pm
I agree.This would be an excellent idea to 1, clean the community, and 2, teach those prisoners (many of whom are non-conformist) a little bit of humility.
Sadly, the Greens would never agree. Can you imagine that idiot Keef Locke! He'd be apoplectic with indignation that those "nice criminals" should actually be punished.
johnf_456,
May 31, 1:12pm
Yup as per post 7
elect70,
May 31, 1:27pm
I though local councils were responsible for rubbish removal , grassmowingdrain clearingetc. with in their boundary
lordv81,
May 31, 1:28pm
Most if not all road side rubbish is meant to be picked up by companies who have tendered and won contracts off the local roading authorities etc.I know the NZ unions are dead against prisoners picking up rubbish on beaches and roads as it encroaches on paid work that should be already being done.Also osh rules would require all prisoners to meet required specs to match the road which would get expensive.Councils and transit need to step up and use the funds they are meant to be using.
sir-ben,
May 31, 4:37pm
i love littering, when im in my car and cant be bother'd taking in handfulls of rubbish, i just let the wind whip it out of my hands, best things are glass bottles that my mates have left in the back from the night before, and like the first post said, mcdonalds wrappers, old food recepts and broken carparts. love how they bounce and clang around i only use perhaps one council sized bag a month because i also burn my plastic from inside the house
pollymay,
May 31, 6:34pm
^Assuming wind up but if you are serious may some higher being have mercy on you if you smash bottles outside my place while I'm round cause I'll put a bottle right back through your window once I get in my car and catch up. I get sick of cleaning up around my place cause of wankers, even more sick of cleaning them up when they hit a powerpole outside my place, latest one was another white mercedes that took out about 40 metres of fenceline god knows how while skidding along the ditch.
Also stick the unions, if no one will do it paid then get the PD workers out there, FFS if they job can't be done right someone else will do it. Councils will pay when the people being paid do a good job, why is there this divine right to sit on your ass at your job cause it's what you are "entitled" to. PD workers should be put to far more use and the unions spew a lot of bollocks IMO
thejazzpianoma,
May 31, 6:48pm
Unfortunately most councils are beyond inept. Jobs are tendered for and the lowest tender wins. even if the amount tendered would not cover the overheads to do the job to the required standard as set by the Council.
The result is jobs don't get done properly and/or often enough. The Council dosn't really care as they are seen to be going through the motions and are happy to be paying ridiculously low rates for things to be done.
trogedon,
May 31, 7:36pm
I'm forever ringing up the WCC (now Supercity ACC) re glass on the road and roadside dumpng. The people working in that area out West know me by sight - they wave and yell "Hello Paul" when I cycle past.
gadgetman,
Jun 1, 8:14am
As Pollymay said, PD workers would be better idea as they are not prisoners. In case of prisoners there would be a danger of them hitching a ride away.
Also you could employ foreigners who are on cycling holiday with extra trailer on commission basis. Lets say $0.50/ kilo of rubbish. There needs to be checks in place that they would just not empty the rest area bins.
sgrants,
Jun 1, 8:16am
What Charity! If your going highway 16 past Kaukapakapa on a tuesday would ya wanna meet our scout group for a talk! (in the evening though!)
sgrants,
Jun 1, 8:17am
Just checked your profile, all is clear now good on ya mate!
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