Another Thing I Wonder About

Again, not something I see myself doing, but I wonder how someone would react if I picked up their litter and handed it back to them.

One time, while walking west on Houston St. with Jamie and a couple of other people I can't remember (apologies if one of them was you), a guy walking in front of us dropped his paper plate on the ground so that he could have both hands free to handle his piece of pizza. Jamie was not pleased.

"Hey," she said, her words unleashing a series roundhouse kicks, "you gonna pick that up?"

He spun around and spoke some Chuck Norris of his own.

"Why don't you pick it up?"

Their voices rose and more verbal karate ensued. In the end, both ended up a little pissed off and the plate was left to fend for itself.

She didn't mean to be rude about it. Littering just really gets her goat. I mean, she doesn't even buy into Dave's theory that it's not littering if you place your garbage on the ground instead of dropping it. That's how you know she's serious.

Still, I wonder what would happen if I took a different approach in a similar situation. What if I treated someone dropping their garbage on the street with the same urgency I'd treat someone who dropped their keys or their wallet?

"Hey!" I'd yell to get their attention as I bent over to pick up their discarded item. Then, with garbage in hand, I'd jog a bit to catch up to them.

"You accidentally dropped this," I'd say with my hand outstretched and my words dripping honey.

What would the person do? Would they thank me and take the garbage back? Would they mutter under their breath and turn away? Maybe call me an unkind name and shake their head is disgust? And what, then, would happen to me? I'd be stuck standing there holding someone else's garbage. That's what.

Well, worse comes to worse I could always just bend down and place it back on the floor.