Someone will pick it up.

I see people relatively frequently who make no effort to hide the fact that they're throwing trash on the ground. It often comes from their cars: they roll down the window, stick out a hand, and drop a cup, a paper, a bag on the ground, then roll the window back up and drive away. This happens when there are many other people around, like sitting at a stoplight in a line of cars, or like what happened yesterday. My friend Susan and I were in the drive-through (it will never be "thru" to me) of Panera. The guy in front of me almost angrily threw a paper cup on the ground. There was zero shame, no effort to hide it, and he looked mad at the world, like he was throwing the cup at the Earth, not just on it. I had to bite my tongue hard hard hard not to yell something, even just, "NICE!" Like, DUDE! What the hell? I SEE YOU!! Restaurants always have trash cans around...and why, exactly, should the Panera employees have to pick up your garbage? But that's the attitude people have. Someone will pick it up. I had some friends who were socially conscious people, presumably cared about the world, cared about such things as global warming, etc, but they admitted with no shame that they litter, and not only do they do it, but they find it acceptable. They think there's nothing wrong with it. Why? Because SOMEONE WILL PICK IT UP. It's disgusting.

Also, food for thought...this opinion is not popular, but I don't think that cigarette butts should be thrown on the ground any more than any other trash. I'm not sure why people who "don't litter" often DO think it's okay to drop a butt on the ground, stamp it with their foot, and walk on. Mad props to the people who make sure they're put out and find a safe receptacle, like a beer or soda can that's already in the trash. Way to go, people.

I bite my tongue because it takes a lot for me to want to talk to strangers, especially angrily, but beware: my children are the litter gestapo, and they will call you on it. "Mom, why did that guy throw his trash on the ground? DisGUSting!!" Yes, children. People are disgusting.