The first of this year’s sessions, we knew we had lots to do to get back to the eventual cleanliness we achieved last year. So, despite the rain we headed off into the woods, our plan being to try to make an impact on those areas which would be most likely to be seen by other users of the area. These are the areas most likely to generate complaints.
With a few guys working at each of the ‘hotspots’ we can quickly turn what many will feel is offensive sexual debris into a much more pleasant-looking area. At the ‘hotspots’ we routinely pick up: used condoms, condom sachets, lube sachets, wipes and tissues, old poppers bottles, kamagra packets, vinyl gloves as well as empty bottles and cans.
We aren’t ‘do-gooders’ or anything like that! We want cruising to continue and feel that that will be helped by lessening the number of complaints about the litter which many, possibly understandably, find offensive.
We weren’t sorry to take a break for refreshments, when we could also catch up with a friendly Forest Ranger whose approach and attitude to the activities in the area are refreshingly supportive – unlike so many of his colleagues!
Our final haul for the day – 9 sacks, mainly of sexual debris, to add to the two sacks collected yesterday.
We had one further task to complete – replacing last year’s signs with some fresh ones. Some are high up and subtle; some are a lot more obvious. We wonder how long they will remain in place for?
(Incidentally, pictures of those involved in our litterpicking sessions are only taken, and displayed here, with their express consent – the right of anyone not to have their picture taken, and to remain anonymous, is one we take seriously.)