Should chewing gum be banned?

[hoots the scoop]

Should it?

Campbeltown Main Street. The nearest bit has been cleaned.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

quite simply no

[paraffin man]

I only commented to MRs PM on this yesterday when walking down the main st. i couldn't believe the state of the pavement outside McKellars shop.

I feel it is an education thing, the kids need to be told about this, the police need to enforce a littering issue, which it is. Has this ever been brought up with them at the community council meeting? If so what have they done (police that is)?

If this doesnt work some kind of enforcement should be applied to the sellers of this. Most of what you see on the pavement probably comes from that particular shop, not that i am blaming it solely on them or indeed for selling it, as it looks to be a very popular seller, maybe the shops that sell the chewing gum should be imposed with the tax instead of the ordinary person on the street that way it wouldnt affect our council tax. It costs the taxpayer money at the end of the day for the council to clean this disgusting mess up , which it is!

I dont think you could ban it completly as that wouldnt work. i know it has worked in other parts of the world like China, but we are hardly going to chop off peoples hands for chewing gum are we?

[wee alba]

It is pretty disgusting mind you. As you say PM - its just an education thing.

I can remember one of the times I was home, I was down the street when hordes of school children arrived down for lunch. I thought - so different from when I was a boy and it was good for the local businesses. The younsters bought their stuff from various outlets and stood in their little groups all over the main street. However, the mess that was left on the street was quite amazing with paper and food all over the place outside McIlcherries and up round the town hall. Surely the school has some responsibility too as well as the Police?

Did have a good chuckle mind you when I saw four of the kids jumping into a taxi to get back to school! Ah....class!

J

[take_a_pop]

Aye thit is class awe rite, taxis bach tae skool, yuil naw be laffin whin ye hae tae pay the double time sundey work thim buggars al get cause it canna be dun eny othur dey, buggared if a can wurk thit wan oot, sundey shuid be a dey oh rest an a dey fur the church naw blastin the bludy stret wae high pressure steem jeenies.
Ma pension is naw ganni last much langer, cause oh thim yung uns.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Why not have the kids clean it. Make it like an event and have free soft drinks and a party afterwards or something. Would be cheaper than paying the town to do it I imagine. (Would the kids fall for this )

[take_a_pop]

Whin ye step oan thit gum, nae wan fa's, yur stuk solid fur deys an deys, infact ah wint doon the toon last widnesdey an a niffer git hame tae frydey, its wurse then stanin in a bowel oh custerd.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

...infact ah wint doon the toon last widnesdey an a niffer git hame tae frydey, its wurse then stanin in a bowel oh custerd.

Pop, do you think Mrs. Pop actually fell for that excuse?

[4th gen Suthen']

That is a good idea Bobbie but I can just imagine the look of disdain and disgust from the C/town youngsters..... it IS disgusting and obviously they have NO pride in their home town......makes my blood BOIL when I see youngsters eating sweeties or crisps and just dropping the packet as they walk......no thought of finding a bin or keeping it in their pocket terrible...........likely as they get older they will realise the error of their ways but they are doing damage NOW.
There were anti litter campaigns in the 70s and 80s, they worked to a degree........bring 'em back.

Why not have the kids clean it. Make it like an event and have free soft drinks and a party afterwards or something. Would be cheaper than paying the town to do it I imagine. (Would the kids fall for this )

[dgraves]

In the States it is common practice in high schools to make the kids that have earned detention after school clean up old chewing gum. They are given masks (like the ones for food preparation) , latex gloves and a dull knife. They clean up the gum spots on the sidewalks and from underneath the school cafeteria tables(eeewww!). Most come away with a different outlook on where the gum should be tossed.

[general jack o'niell]

[lorri]

it is mingin rite enough. but the easy option is to ban it. i agree make the yung uns clean it up then see if there still spittin it out on the street

[Jock Strap]

I think it is unfair just to accuse children - adults are just as bad and we are supposed to be the educated ones!

It does make a hell of difference now it is cleaned up mind you. I have always thought disposing of chewing gum in the street and stubbing out cigarettes amount to litter and as such should be subject to the same laws as throwing paper etc on the street. Seems its not mind you.

[Sweltered]

I believe in Thailand its a public flogging offence

[petewick]

Just think of the amount of people who chew gum to help stop smoking.

petewick