Floss Pickers on the road

[PaulE]

The thread about discarded tubes on the road got me thinking about another peeve of mine = discarded floss pickers on the road. I have by no means ridden a bike in all 50 states. But I have ridden a bike in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. And, except for Florida, I have seen discarded floss pickers on the side of the road! The last time I rode a bike in Florida was in the late 1990's or early 2000's. So it may have been these things weren't popular back then.

What states have you ridden a bike in and do you see them on the road or not?

[dustyrider]

The more troubling pieces of litter that I see regularly are nips of booze. You often see the same brand at the exact same spot in between the liquor store and they're final destination. There is one stretch of road here where I have seen at least 4 empty 1.75ml bottles of Canadian Mist within 10 yards of each other. During the year the road is policed for litter at least once, and I'd be willing to bet they find more than 4 empties...I figure it must be some person's morning and afternoon ritual to take pulls off the bottle and they continuously hit empty in the same place. This had been going on for years, and I now avoid this particular stretch with a passion!

Edit: I see the dental hygiene dealios near public parks the most. No kidding.

[adavco]

I don't know that i ever came across floss pickers in Colorado - alcohol contains are way more frequent and disturbing.

[bitt3n]

those things are all over the place in MA.. I guess people floss their teeth while driving..

[Frankwurst]

I don't know that i ever came across floss pickers in Colorado - alcohol contains are way more frequent and disturbing.

I find any garbage along side the road disturbing. Pisses me off. Rant over because I can't type well enough to carry on.:beer:

[Dead Man]

There's this spot on Fern Hill road coming up Fern Hill out of Rainier Oregon where there's an absolutely countless number of empty Marlboro red cigarette boxes in the ditch. Some so old and pulpy and faded they must be a year old, all the way to brand new - I envision some it's just some asshole's daily ritual. Probably smokes exactly 1 pack a day, every day, for the last 20 years, and every day coming home from work chucks the empty out in that same spot.

I'll take a pic next time I climb Fern Hill... I'm not even exaggerating

[bcroslin]

cigarette butts. anytime I see someone flick one on the ground I burn with the anger of one million suns. I don't care if people smoke but put the damn things out and then throw them away.

with that said, lately I keep seeing water bottles full of yellow liquid and I'm pretty sure it's not Mountain Dew.

[bitt3n]

with that said, lately I keep seeing water bottles full of yellow liquid and I'm pretty sure it's not Mountain Dew.

trucker bombs.. truckers piss into them so they don't have to stop. the guys who mow the sides of the freeway hate those because they explode when they mow over them.

[Cicli]

trucker bombs.. truckers piss into them so they don't have to stop. the guys who mow the sides of the freeway hate those because they explode when they mow over them.

I have been involved in the trucking industry for 30 years.

Some of these drivers would run a piece of heater hose through a hole cut in the shifter boot on the floor and pee in that going down the road. We had to work on those piss sponge trucks. I worked with a guy that zip tied one shut from under the cab. I bet that driver was suprised the first time he tried to use his homemade jon and it was plugged. Disgusting.

[dustyrider]

I have been involved in the trucking industry for 30 years.

Some of these drivers would run a piece of heater hose through a hole cut in the shifter boot on the floor and pee in that going down the road. We had to work on those piss sponge trucks. I worked with a guy that zip tied one shut from under the cab. I bet that driver was suprised the first time he tried to use his homemade jon and it was plugged. Disgusting.

Reminds me of an old timer I met years ago in a campground. He had chunks of garden hose and small pumps rigged up around the motor home that emptied his black and grey tanks while he drove around. Real piece of work to f everyone else like that...

[Schmed]

I don't know that i ever came across floss pickers in Colorado - alcohol contains are way more frequent and disturbing.

Agreed - I never see them. But I do see a lot of those 2 ounce Fireball whiskey bottles on the side of the road. I guess us Coloradans need less booze and more dental care.

[ColonelJLloyd]

cigarette butts. anytime I see someone flick one on the ground I burn with the anger of one million suns. I don't care if people smoke but put the damn things out and then throw them away.

It also angers me to levels other things don't. It says, "yeah, I smoke despite health concerns and that my breath smells like a wet ashtray, but stale cigarette butts in my car? That's just gross."

[David Tollefson]

Floss pickers are everywhere in Washington. Whenever my dental hygienist suggests them, I tell her about all the ones I see on the road...

[txcid05]

I see them occasionally in South Texas. I use them myself, just couldn't imagine flinging 'em outside my window. Freakin hate litter.

[ripvanrando]

Some states or locales are worse than others.

I've never seen a floss picker on the road but there is one spot with beer and booze bottles. I imagine someone's routine. Dump the same beer and nip bottles everyday at the same spot after a hard day on the Scag TigerCat.

[AJosiahK]

gross, and rude

those nips are a scary kind of litter.

[benb]

I have a bus stop in front of my house. The # of nips we have to pick out of the lawn every week is ridiculous. It's like half the people getting on the bus are getting a buzz going before they board.

There are also folks who go to the Whole Foods, Starbucks, whatever, and buy a bunch of food and just leave all of the packaging on our lawn. It's probably the same idiot as it happens regularly. His/Her routine seems to be get out of work, buy a bunch of pre-cooked food, eat it in our yard, toss the trash on the lawn, have a nip, and get on the bus to go home.

We used to have our own sign about not littering but it eventually rotted away, we need to make another one. They actually sit on our property while they wait as opposed to the sidewalk. (Usually sitting under one of our trees) Not sure if there is anything I can do about that but the littering sure is annoying.

I do see those floss things.. I don't get it. So wasteful and they don't seem any easier for an adult then regular floss. But then you definitely can't floss with regular floss while driving.

[bcroslin]

trucker bombs.. truckers piss into them so they don't have to stop. the guys who mow the sides of the freeway hate those because they explode when they mow over them.

O. M. G.

not funny but also very funny. I've filled up my share of water bottles on long trips but why would you just fling one out the window? and I use those little flossers religiously and leave them in my car until I can toss them in the recycling bin when I get home.

as a young man I admit to being careless and tossing things out my window and now I do penance by picking up trash when I walk my neighborhood. I've even occasionally stop to pick up things on a ride when I'm by myself.

[bitt3n]

They actually sit on our property while they wait as opposed to the sidewalk. (Usually sitting under one of our trees) Not sure if there is anything I can do about that but the littering sure is annoying.

You could just start up the lawn sprinklers during rush hour...

[bcroslin]

Or drop a buddha next to the bus stop

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/johnson/article/Buddha-seems-to-bring-tranquillity-to-Oakland-5757592.php

[Idris Icabod]

I've never seen a floss picker in the area where I like to ride, but the area has a reputation as being a bit of a meth junkies paradise and flossing their few remaining teeth isn't a priority. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

[Fatty]

They actually sit on our property while they wait as opposed to the sidewalk. (Usually sitting under one of our trees) Not sure if there is anything I can do about that but the littering sure is annoying.



Put up a fence?

[PaulE]

that sees litter, etc. on the road. Of course I should be pedaling harder, going faster and looking much farther up the road more often!

[spoonrobot]

I see them around here from time to time.

Honestly I've only been riding for about 5 years as an adult and there are precious few things I haven't seen on the road.

[bironi]

I'm in Olympia, Wa. I don't see the floss things. I use toothpicks with the same results. I do toss them at will including my own yard.