I walk along North Main, Montauk, Taugwonk and Pequot Trail, some of Stonington's prettiest roadways. Often, I am unable to see the forest for the trash. Drivers go too fast to see bottles. But passengers notice. Cyclers might see a can here or there. But pedestrians see every lurid colored wrapper and glinting broken bottle.

People party and toss.

I've accepted that nobody wants to manage litter laws and public trash bins. Who cares what's on the forest edge or cove side? Well I care. Because I can't see anything else when there's more trash than flora in the line of sight.

Besides the environmental impact, does it matter? Won't town mowers just slash up this trash into shiny plastic-and-glass mulch? It matters. It says what broken windows on a house say: we don't care. We don't see what our scenic roads look like, or care how safe they are for non-drivers. Visitors exploring Stonington without the car, kids walking to swim or sailing lessons may accept Stonington's roadside trash as the norm. Will they imitate what they see?

If you see someone gather litter by the road, maybe you could imitate for just a few yards beyond your driveway.

On your next pass, you'll see more forest and trees.