Drive Through Vigilantism

I had some dental cleaning done this morning that required a local anesthesic. I was supposed to eat something beforehand but I forgot to eat, so after my appointment I was feeling a bit peckish. I decided to grab a milkshake. (Yeah, a milkshake after going to the dentist, that’s the kind of passive agressive action that I’ve come to expect from myself.) I pulled into the drive through at the Green Hills McDonald’s.

In front of me was a Kentucky blue early 90s vintage Ford F150 truck. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw the man behind the weel of the truck roll down his window to toss a paper towel on to the ground beside the truck. I was not the only one to notice this, but I was amazed at the brazen callousness that would make a person think that this was OK.

I thought for a moment on what I could do, and given that my mouth is already numb I figured that I would confront him about it. If he tried to deck me, I wouldn’t feel it anyway, so I felt I had nothing to lose.

I put my car in park, jumped out of the car and picked up the paper towel. He saw me do this, I made eye contact, and with all the brazenness I could muster, I threw the trash in the back of his truck. Several people saw me do this and they started to clap. He jumped out of his truck, reached back into the bed of the truck, fished out the paper towel and while staring at me, THREW IT BACK ON THE GROUND. Another man came over, picked up the paper towel again, took it inside to throw it away. He gave me a thumbs up.

Now I’m sure that this was’t the first time this man (he ordered a McChicken-no lettuce-and a small Coke has thrown trash from his car window, and I don’t expect my actions to have any influence on him ever doing again.

But if you see a man driving along in a blue Ford truck, Tennessee license plate NYE 753, don’t be suprised when you see a McChicken wrapper fly out the car window.

16 thoughts on “Drive Through Vigilantism”

  1. Great post. I hate litterbugs (smokers are the worst), but a tiny part of me is impressed that the blue truck driver took an affirmative stand in favor of littering.

  2. Sorry bout Bubba, he don’t know no better. Ever since he lost his job at the garbage dump he’s been a little bitter.

  3. Tim,

    Little actions by individuals like you make the world a better place. If only you could throw the clowns back were they came from…both the guy in the truck and the clown in red and yellow:)

  4. hey mr. roboto speaking of smoking litterbugs, my next-door neighbor either is one or invited one over recently. There have been all these cigarette butts in my driveway recently. So Tim, next time that happens, I will let you know and you can come practice some more litterbug vigilanteism over here. (I would do so except I never actually SEE said neighbor. She is a mystery woman.)

  5. I know a guy at the Nashville Dept of Beautification who would love to hear your story. That man could find himself opening his mail and finding a citation within.

    Ask for Lawrence. He’s a great guy and one of my favorite people.

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