Don't look around mid-valley roads and city streets. If you do, you will be depressed at what you see. The fact is that many a public street and road is a pretty trashy place.

In the summer, foliage hides some of the stuff along the major highways. But all that rubbish becomes apparent now, in the gray days of advancing fall.

On city streets, the conclusion is impossible to escape: Many of our fellow citizens have a simple way of dealing with stuff they no longer need. They crumple it and drop it where they stand or walk, or they pitch it out the window of their car.

It is unlikely that anything can be done about this. Road signs threaten fat fines if anybody discards trash in a public place. But prosecuting anybody is nearly impossible, and there has been no such case reported in the news for years.

But something might at least be tried: The road authorities could set up many more trash receptacles, especially in town. This might not change the behavior of litter bugs. But it would give others a way to pick up the occasional piece of junk and dispose of it quickly, without having to carry it all the way home. (hh)