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Roadside Clean Up
On Earth Day several years ago, my wife and I wanted to do something to support the environment and teach our 4 year old son about the idea of stewardship. We thought of an exit ramp off the highway a few miles from our house that had litter strewn all over it as if a couple garbage bags fell from a truck, broke and no one had returned to clean it up. We went out with our son and a Chinese exchange student who was staying with us for an hour of clean up. I’m sure she thought we were crazy but we worked quickly and one of us stayed close to our son and in an hour it was almost all gone. Then a state police cruiser pulled up and told us we had to stop. “Why,” we asked. Because people drove by and seeing a young child on the side of the road were concerned for his safety. He said we’d have to leave this to the road maintenance crews (even though it had been there for 4-5 months). What do you think? Responsible? Irresponsible?
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Program Director
It was a wonderful thing that you tried to teach your child. It is to bad that some timws the law keeps parents from teaching our children how to do Gods work.
May the good lord help you find ways to teach your child how to be loving to our world.Keep on teaching.
God bless you
Juanita Gonzalez | 6 months, 3 weeks ago
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roadside clean-up
I think the officer was irresponsible. couldn’t they just gaurd the boy with police cars?
symone woods | 6 months, 2 weeks ago
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roadside clean-up
It’s the same thing as being ticketed just for putting money in a parking meter for someone else. It seems very wrong and counter to the idea of giving. Things need to change to provide rewards for giving.
Sometimes, even “thank you” is enough!
Kenneth Baker | 5 months, 1 week ago
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just so sad
Leave it to the road maintenance crews? Thank God you think different, if everyone thought as that police man, this world would be much worse-off than it already is. Your child is very lucky to have parents who simply CARE. Keep up the good work.
Maria Stillman | 4 months, 3 weeks ago
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Well...
I am glad you took responsibility, however I don’t think the police officer was wrong in wanting to ensure your son’s safety. I have a 4-year-old and he’s very well-behaved, and yet I couldn’t imagine taking him to stand on an exit ramp. There are safer areas where I’m sure the same lesson could have been taught – or it could have been coordinated with the police or road crews in advance so that safety would have been ensured. Chalk it up to a lesson learned.
Amy | 4 months ago
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Roadside cleanup
I am glad you took the responsibility to make our earth a better place…However; unfortunately we have some people that are not as responsible as you when it comes to driving. Often times some people do not pay attention or drive too fast. Or they turn their eyes off the road to watch the individuals walking on the side of the road.
Your intentions were admirable and you are teaching your family a wonderful lesson. Again, what if a careless driver lost control or your son ran out on the road. We all would be reading a different story on the news.
WHAT IF….Just my thoughts.
Audrey Eskridge | 4 months ago
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Responsible
IMO: Responsible.
As a society in the U.S., we as parents have been socialized and marketed into being overly protective, and scared on behalf of, our children. I think the passing drivers, the police officer and the commentors above – with all good intention, mind you – have all fallen into this mental trap.
A 4-year old under direct parental supervision was perfectly safe in that situation. I mean, the child was likely physically at your side literally holding the garbage bag open as you filled it, and of course you spoke to the child beforehand and explained that they needed to be careful and “listen to Mommy/Daddy” closely. In my experience, if you speak seriously to a child and really mean it, they have a sixth sense about these things.
Frankly, People need to be better at assesing risk – the fact of the matter is that your child was in greater danger in the car driving to and fom the exit ramp than he was cleaning up the trash.
Steve Goldmann | 3 months, 1 week ago
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responsible people
u did the good job.child is lucky to have parents like u.wish every one is like u.
smita | 2 months, 4 weeks ago
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Roadside Clean Up comment
I wholeheartedly agree that what you were doing is a great thing to do and a great lesson to teach a child. However a freeway or exit ramp is no place for a child to learn such a lesson.
Having worked as what everyone is referring to as a “roadside cleanup crew” I could go on a tangent and explain how I’ve seen a co-worker hit by a car while wearing every safety product imaginable with a truck with flashing lights and an arrow board on it alerting drivers of our presence… but I won’t (He and the driver are just fine now).
The roadside is a dangerous place for anyone and if you want it cleaned up call your state or local government to let them know, it may be put on a list and take awhile but it should eventually get cleaned up. Many of those clean-up crews have jobs that don’t deal with the cosmetics of roadsides, they usually focus on keeping grass cut or fixing signs/guardrails.
Don’t let my comment discourage anyone from a public clean-up project!
If you’re over 18 and have permission to help clean a roadway go for it, if you are teaching or involving children stick to something like a public park, walking path, or sidewalks. Instead of telling children “put that down, you don’t know where it’s been!” encourage them to pick up litter and dispose of it properly! =P
Patrick Pugh | 2 months ago
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the home run
The movie called the home run was cool. why did the addidas cary one of the
players from wolves to the home playte?
Joe Smith | 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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