February 08, 2007
Thursday

Mr. Cegelske's letter on "Liter and Slobs" was on the mark in many ways. It is a disgrace to see what some of us do to this area.

There is one point, however, that needs to be clarified so that no one will misinterpret his statement about dumping trash at a car wash.

In his article, Mr. Cegelske wrote, "If they were really interested in cleaning up their vehicle they could have used a car wash and placed their trash in the trash cans there." The point of the sentence being that, IF YOU USE THE CAR WASH (TO WASH YOUR CAR), THEN YOU CAN PUT THE CAR-TYPE TRASH IN THE TRASH CANS THERE. I am sure that Mr. Cegelske was not suggesting that people go to the car wash to dump their trash.

Unfortunately this is what people do everyday.

We need to remember that car washes are private businesses. They should not be considered trash dumps any more than any other business or house is a trash dump.

I know that the owners of the North Tongass Car Wash have been plagued with literally hundreds of pounds of non-car-type trash weekly. Some of the things that have been dumped there are: car and truck parts (weighing hundred of pounds), old batteries, tires, huge bags of diapers, bloody fish guts and animal carcasses, broken furniture and lamps, worn out carpet, bed parts, broken dishes, fishing gear, appliances, hazardous cleaning materials and building materials. There were also many things that were dumped that could have been donated to the Salvation Army for others to use.

Many of the people, who do this kind of dumping, don't even patronize the car wash. They do just what a misinterpretation of Mr. Cegelske's sentence might suggest; they use it as a trash dump, leaving the car wash owners with the job and expense of taking other people's trash to the dump.

Cleaning out car trash , WHEN YOU USE THE CAR WASH is expected. Loading up your car or truck with household trash and dumping it at the car wash, even if you wash your car there, is really taking unfair advantage of a local small business owner. It is lazy, thoughtless and littering, which, the last time I looked, is illegal.

By the way, Mr. Cegelske, the comment about the trash can lids was not true, if you were talking about the North Tongass Car Wash. I know for a fact that their trash cans have lids and that they are used every day. Obviously, however, when people come and overfill the cans, and others pile trash around the vacuum cleaners, it is going to look bad until it can be picked up and taken to the dump by someone who works at the car wash.

John Kiser
Ketchikan, AK



Received February 07, 2007 - Published February 08, 2006

About: "Friend of the car wash owner; I have helped him haul the trash I mention."

Related Viewpoint:

Litter and the Slobs By Jerry Cegelske - Ketchikan, AK

 

 

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