Ah, the beautiful outdoors. The flowing Chattahoochee River, birds chirping in the distance, and a couple of native Starbucks cups resting by the tree. Yes, that last one doesn't fit at all.
Sadly, that sort of maddening littering is an all-too-familiar sight for hikers everywhere.
A hiking Redditor shared a video of the disturbing scene to the aptly named r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit.
In the video, purportedly taken at Island Ford Park in Georgia, the Redditor showed a plastic Starbucks cup and a paper one resting against a tree in an otherwise idyllic scene. They said ice was still in one of them, indicating the offenders weren't far away.
The Reddit user was beside themself, using a lot of colorful language to describe the scene. Their frustration is understandable, as this is a massive problem in our parks.
Some 100 million pounds of waste is generated annually in America's National Parks. Besides being an eyesore and ruining the optics of a pleasant trip to nature, leaving trash can do lots of damage.
In the case of the plastic cup, it could take centuries for it to break down while posing a health hazard and a danger to the local ecosystem. That includes animals that could ingest it with dire results.
Whoever left the trash by the tree directly violates the biggest rule in hiking: leave no trace. That is out of respect for nature and your fellow visitors.
Commenters on Reddit were angered by the egregious littering and hopeful that there'd be consequences for the perpetrators.
🗣️ Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
🔘 Definitely 👍
🔘 Only in some areas ☝️
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 I'm not sure 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Find the culprits and tell them to dump their trash," one suggested. The original poster said that they tried that but frustratingly couldn't find anyone.
"If we funded parks, we could have more rangers," a Redditor pointed out. They added that more rangers would raise the chances of visitors who litter getting "brought to justice!"
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