Is there anything I can do to keep people from throwing their garbage in my yard?

[debden]

I live across the street from where they hold school sports.Even though there are signs posted "no Parking this side of street" everyone parks in front of my house any way.Well that doesn't bother me but when their finished watching the game they dump all their goodies they have left over in my yard.Yes these people who are supposedly "adults" dump their garbage in my yard before they leave.
Is there anything I can do to deter them from doing this besides put up a fence?I'm not even sure a fence would keep these slobs from throwing their garbage over the fence.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Debbie

 

[sunnyday123]

I live across the street from where they hold school sports.Even though there are signs posted "no Parking this side of street" everyone parks in front of my house any way.Well that doesn't bother me but when their finished watching the game they dump all their goodies they have left over in my yard.Yes these people who are supposedly "adults" dump their garbage in my yard before they leave.
Is there anything I can do to deter them from doing this besides put up a fence?I'm not even sure a fence would keep these slobs from throwing their garbage over the fence.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Debbie

I see cats in your avatar....do you have a dog? I have two seperate dog-walkers in my neighborhood who would let their dogs do their thing in my front yard so one day I waited from them ( they walked the same time every day) and when the offending dog started sniffing, I opened the door and let my dog run out at them. I knew she wouldn't do anything but bark, but they didn't. I may have mentioned she was agressive ( total lie) and was prone to attacking other dogs.

She's been gone 9 months, and so have they.

If not, I would just wait, and when you see them "drop" something, run out and say, "Oh, wait, you dropped what looks very important!" and hand it back to them with a smile.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

Aside from leaving a trash can for them, probably nothing.

 

[bicker]

Question: Is the No Parking sign a town/city sign? If so, then call the police every time someone parks there, and get them to take action, going up the chain of command if you don't receive an adequate response. If the sign isn't a town/city sign, then take it down. It could actually be causing some of the trash!

 

[mom2rb]

I would get a big dog and an under ground fence. My Friend has one, her dogs can stay in the front yard with the kids but they can't cross the property line.

 

[Tikitoi]

Aside from leaving a trash can for them, probably nothing.

ITA. As people can be such pigs.

 

[MineMail]

Tell the authorities that they need to provide (and empty) multiple trash pails near the playing areas because the players and families are littering your property due to a lack of trash barrels.

If it's on school property, send the letter to the Principal and the PTA President. If it's a public park, send the letter to the Parks and Sanitation departments. They usually work together to handle trash barrels and collections. (I hope you don't get a ticket for other people's littering.)

Include photos of your street/yard before and after the events.
Follow up after two or three weeks if you haven't heard back.

In the meantime, put out your own trash barrel. You could even do it the "Brooklyn" way and put the barrels in the street so they CAN'T park illegally, lol. A "Please Do Not Litter" sign would be a gentle reminder.

 

[englishteacha]

I would contact the local authorities. I'm sure there's a fine for littering in your town. I know there is in ours (and for not picking up after your dog). Besides parking illegally, these folks are littering. Ask if an officer could come patrol during the events, especially when people are leaving.

Perhaps posting some nice "Please do not litter" signs might help. Or putting cones in front of your yard so people don't park there? Maybe there should be a few trash cans along the road. You could mention that to the people who maintain the fields.

 

[bicker]

Perhaps posting some nice "Please do not litter" signs might help. Or putting cones in front of your yard so people don't park there?

I think both of these ideas would back-fire. The kind of people who would litter, in the first place, are generally the people who would litter more deliberately if encountering a homemade sign about littering. And people who would illegally park would not necessary respect cones; they'd perhaps even be prompted to steal them. People who litter and who park illegally are not like normal people.

 

[happygirl]

Sadly I don't think there is much you can do. Maybe you can park in the street the night of the games. Maybe that might cut down a little on it

 

[debden]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.I go out after every game now and pick up the trash they throw away before driving away.
This past spring (after the snow melted)I filled up 2 1/2 30 gallon garbage bags with what they had dumped in my yard last fall.
I didn't even know it was that bad until the snow melted.I have lots of trees/brush on my property so I don't even see the garbage until I walk over on the other side near the road.
It's sad people feel the need to dispose of their garbage this way.The school does have a huge garbage barrel over there but I guess it's too long a walk for some people.
I've seen the garbage barrel tipped over and dumped out many times and now that they've put a "port-a-potty" that's been tipped over also.
What is wrong with some people??It really burns me to see such disrespect(and from adults no less!)toward other peoples property.
Debbie

 

[Kim&Chris]

Wow, that's terrible

People have no respect for things these days.

I would probably invest in a few of those big Rubbermaid trash cans and put them in the areas where people dump their trash.

I would also talk to the school. There's probably zip they can do about it, but maybe they can make an announcement at the games asking attendees NOT litter on the neighboring properties.

 

[bicker]

What is wrong with some people??

I think the problem stems from the lack of priority in our society for promoting the inherent worth and dignity of every person. So many facets of our society are focused on favoring themselves, and excluding (even persecuting) "others", that this sense of self-importance pervades the national psyche, or at least that of a significant percentage of our people. Sorry your home places you in the direct line-of-fire of many people like this.

 

[lillygator]

are you home when this happens? Be watering your yard and give them a quick spray! ;0

 

[bicker]

That's actually a great idea... Actually, you don't even need to be outside; just set up an automatic sprinkler that showers their car and your front yard with water, starting it up just before the game ends. That might be enough to deter them from littering, and perhaps even parking there the next time.

(Unless you fear that they'll steal your automatic sprinkler).

 

[Wishing on a star]

Wow, people can be just awful....

One thing that comes to mind is that many of the offenders may be the 'visitors' in these sport events. And, they, especially, may delight in showing no respect.... almost trashing on purpose.

Anyhow, unfortunately, this can be a problem when living right adjacent to any public venue like this.

My take on it is that the County Parks, or the School System, or whomever operates this place, should be responsible for trash control/removal, not only ON their property, but on any directly bordering right of way. (remember, that area is not technically 'just your property', it is a public right of way.

I would, in a very general, but direct way (requesting a reply as soon as possible), contact the correct public department and ask what their policy is regarding trash control. If they state that they only remove trash ON their property, then you might want to check into local and state policies.

If there is a city/county ordinance prohibiting parking on your side of the street, and those are city/county signs... I would be on the phone every single time there was a big sporting event, requesting city/county traffic control to come handle the situation. I would do this repeatedly, over and over, if necessary.

If you live in a smaller town/community, then it might help to take photos, and contact the local newspaper, hoping for a feature story that might catch the eye of the local powers-that-be.... Too bad you don't have photos of you all picking up those big trash bins chock full of trash!