One Redditor highlighted a common problem when they posted a picture of discarded trash at the side of the road in their community.
The post appeared on r/mildlyinfuriating with little accompanying text. They simply titled the post, "People who dump their trash on the side of the highway," and let the name of the subreddit say the rest.
The photo showed a majorly infuriating mess, including a large purple mattress and matching box spring thrown against a tree, a thick scattering of paper and plastic, and an entire toilet.
In many locations, leaving behind trash this way is against the law. But illegal dumping remains a widespread issue despite the penalties and fines perpetrators can receive if they're caught.
Because of this, many locations — including open stretches of freeway and even busy neighborhoods — have been ruined with ugly trash, including furniture, appliances, tires, and construction waste.
This kind of dumping is also bad for local wildlife. Some animals get stuck in trash or try to eat it, and others can be poisoned by chemicals seeping out of decomposing waste.
Commenters thought the original poster's photo was more than just "mildly" infuriating.
"Fully infuriating," said one user.
A second commenter replied, "What is more infuriating is when people do this but in my neighborhood. Hate seeing a small community get covered in trash people can't take care of."
Another commenter suggested that legal action might be possible. "If we find s**t like that, we give them one chance to pick it up. Then we go through all the trash to see if there are any names and addresses. These are passed onto the council for prosecution."
For those with trash of their own to get rid of, several users offered options.
"In the neighborhood I lived in in the U.S., they did curbside trash pick ups maybe once every two months?" said one commenter. "Allowed people to get rid of bigger items and do some yard work without having to drive to the dump."
"It takes just as much effort to ditch a box spring somewhere as it does to go to the dump," another user pointed out.
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