Alcohol-related litter is plentiful

Dear Editor,

I read with interest the editorial discussing litter and some of its causes (“Green Up: Plan to make it fun” April 27, 2023). 

However, as a frequent cyclist on Vermont’s roads (preferably the gravel ones) I have an additional perspective. 

Moving at a slower pace than in a car, one sees in greater detail the detritus on the road-side. To my dismay and great anxiety as a vulnerable road-user, much of it is alcoholic beverage containers (more so than soft drink containers). I suppose these litterers must be “knocking back a cold one” en-route and, to avoid being cited for an open container in case of being pulled over, just jettison the evidence. 

Coupling this with the volume of DUIs described in the various police logs (many of them multiple offenses), an alarming connection can be made. 

The beauty and safety of our byways are compromised by this specific type of behavior and litter.

Blair Peterson,

Cornwall