Some Abilene Drivers Are Litterbugs So What Is the Fine for Littering?
While on my way to work the other morning, I was stopped at an intersection about two cars from the traffic light, when I noticed the vehicle one car ahead of me on the righthand side roll down its window and throughout 2 pink sweet-n-low packets and an empty brown Styrofoam cup with a black plastic lid, much like the kind that you get from a drive-thru fast food or coffee shop.
While I couldn't make out whether the litter-bug-driver was male or female and curiosity got the best of me, so, as we both made the left-hand turn from Buffalo Gap Road onto South Danville I stayed in pace with traffic waiting to catch up with the litter-bug in the little red truck to see if my assumption was correct, or not.
I was sure the person was going to be a...well, I rather not say. Nonetheless, as I look over at the litterbug it turns out to be a man. Yep! He looks at me and I look at him as we made eye contact, I guess I must have made a facial expression because he then told me I was number one in that special sign language that frustrated drivers tend to use all too often.
In my defense, I did not return the favor as I was not about to let go of my steering wheel to communicate back because of the fact that I am short-handed (I'm missing my left arm). We both made our way onto the freeway and I kept thinking he must not be from Texas because as we all know "You Don't Mess With Texas."
In reality, it kept bugging me, who litters most men or women? Now, being that it was one of those older, little Ford or Toyota pick-up trucks, I thought "if it's a man driving he'll throw the cup in the right front floorboard." However, if it's a fancy SUV I could imagine a female littering and keeping her car clean. But instead, it was a man keeping his little truck clean.
Now, onto the second thing that kept me wondering about this little littering incident. What is the actual law for littering and how much does it really cost? Is their jail time affixed to the law? So, I called Seargent Marc Couch with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Public Information Officer.
Marc said that littering is a Class C misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $500. Sergeant couch went on to say that the actual fine is left up to the judge and as for jail time Marc said he doesn't recall anyone being jailed for littering it's all left to the judge.
I did reach out to my personal friend retired Judge of over 30 years, Judge Frank Cleveland. Judge Cleveland said that for the most part a lot of the time it was the first offense and the fines would range anywhere from $150 to $200 dollars plus court costs which could go upwards of $300.
The question that kept eating at me was "who litters most men or women?"
My final question to Judge Cleveland was "who litters most men or women?" While I am not surprised The judge said he saw more women than men in his courtroom for littering. The Judge went on to admit that the right front floorboard in his truck is full of trash, I then informed him that we must be related because it runs in the family.