As I was striding to my local shop to buy some beans, a lovely six-year-old girl was strolling towards me. Pressed uniform, shiny shoes, curly red hair. She had just bought a chocolate bar and was unwrapping it eagerly. After removing paper she dumped it without a blink on the ground and walked away. Teeny-weeny bitch!
On the other hand, behavior of such kind doesn't come as a surprise, since this week we all got a chance to discover (again) that Dublin had the most litter on its streets when compared with nine other major European cities: Riga, Vienna, Strasbourg, Cologne, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Zurich, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
The lack of litter-fine enforcement is blamed for the high level of litter in Dublin.
Lithuania's neighbor's Latvia's capital Riga was the cleanest city surveyed. In Vienna, which came second in the survey and was also declared "Clean", 30 new Litter Sheriffs have been appointed to enforce litter fines.
Although recently the on-the-spot litter fine in Ireland was increased from €125 to €150, figures indicate that less than half (12,521) of the litter fines issued in the latter half of 2006 were paid, which equates to only 1.5 litter fines issued per local authority per day.
Apparently, official explanation is that many of those caught discarding food wrappers and cigarette butts simply give false names and addresses to litter wardens.
Hire Lithuanians! You should see how our bus conductors bully students and unemployed likewise until they pay the fine.
On the other hand, Dublin desperately needs more bins: in the bus stops, in residential areas and, of course, in the city centre.
Fare play to Riga! I wonder what would have been the outcome if Lithuania's capital Vilnius had been surveyed.
Labels: Dublin, Ireland: in depth
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I'm very surprised thet Vienna came second. It is a beautiful city for sure. I was there for a year but between the mess from horses and dogs you have to mind your step in the streets.
Mess from dogs especially. They really love their dogs over there!
Lina, Lina, Lina - Have you not realised that no laws are enforced in Ireland. Our government pass these laws - those charged with policing them (Gardaí, local councils, litter wardens etc.) do so for a week or two, until their political masters, and they themselves, forget about them.
If you need an example, just watch what happens next week when it becomes illegal for learners to drive unaccompanied by a licensed individual. You will see Garda check-points everywhere (because it is news) for a week and that will be the end of it.