Trash Cans and Coffee Cups

Ok, I have a question.

Yesterday while gallanting about downtown Portland I found myself with a half empty Starbucks cup in my hand and started desperately trying to find a place to put it. I didn't want to litter of course so I was keeping my eye open for a trash can. Block after block after block and NOTHING. I found many a things that looked like they should be trash cans but no, just some sort of artwork that the city felt the need to use tax payers money to pay for (not to say I have anything against art, but when I am looking for a trash can please do not try and fool me! lol).

Now I am on my favorite walking place I am half tempted to dump the coffee out into the river below but no.. I shouldn't… that would not be the right thing for me to do (even though if I was to dump it down a storm drain that would be right where it would drain too.. hmm…). It was at this moment that I realized that I had lost track of time and that I needed to be on the road headed for Vancouver almost a half hour before so I turn around and head back to my car. I'm walking quickly. Would have been running if the new shoes I had bought the other day didn't give me such horrible blisters the first time wearing them (sure, it was my fault for walking in them for hours without breaking them in first, but it was an extenuating circumstance). Can anyone guess what happens?? Yup. That's right. Somehow I lost my grip of the coffee cup and I see it flying in the air….. its like in slow motion.. and I see it falling… down…… down….. it hits the ground, the white lid flies off and brown coffee flies everywhere! All over my hands, all over my jeans, all over my shoes, all over the sidewalk! I was half tempted to leave the damn cup right where it lay! But no. people saw me drop it and I wanted to seem the better person….. so now, not only do I have to carry this cup around with me, I have to carry a dirty, sticky, broken cup!

So, back to my question……

Do people really wonder why there is a problem with people littering when you really think of the alternative?

I know I don't like coffee all over myself! And it all could have been solved with a nicely positioned trash can.