A Redditor has shared their frustration after the melting snow revealed that their neighbors had been stubbing their cigarettes out in the snow — and they had left the butts behind.
Posting on the subreddit r/MildlyInfuriating, the user shared photos of the scene showing the ground next to the front steps of their apartment door littered with cigarette ends. "As a smoker myself, I find this disgusting," they wrote above the images.
The original poster received a flurry of responses with most of the people sharing in their anguish. "This is absolutely disrespectful to so so so many people," one commenter wrote.
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Yes 💯 Littering of any kind is disrespectful to both people and the planet, but cigarette butts are particularly harmful because they leach toxic chemicals into the ground that can contaminate the soil and local waterways. Exposure to these kinds of toxins can be bad for our health and animals, including our pets. EarthDay.org said that there are an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts polluting the environment worldwide with microplastics.
Issues with neighbors are all too common, and sharing spaces with people who carry out acts that harm the people and places around them — such as spraying pesticides or burning trash — can be frustrating. Problems with neighbors also commonly arise when people want to make money-saving climate-friendly upgrades to their homes, like solar panels or installing a natural lawn.
Sometimes starting a simple conversation about these issues can be enough to help people see the error of their ways. If a conversation doesn't get you anywhere, then knowing the rules and your rights around the issues you are experiencing can help with getting them resolved.
Commenters on this thread told the OP they should do something about their neighbors' behavior. "Can you report this? Have you tried to talk to them about it?" asked one commenter. Another simply wrote: "So gross."
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