That Trashy Trip to Indianapolis

I have been driving from Hartford City to Indianapolis several times a week since 1988. My trip usually follows I-69 to I-465. I have noticed each year how much more trash accumulates along the road. The last ten miles of I-69 now seems like driving through a badly maintained landfill! Not only are the piles of litter unsightly, but they must send the wrong message to those passing through the state. It would be easy to blame the Department of Transportation (and I do hope they have a plan to deal with the problem) but I don’t understand why there is so much litter.

Hoosiers of all sorts claim to be concerned about the environment, so why do they use the public highways for a dump? By some estimates, a tin can, if not picked up, would still be litter after a hundred years. An aluminum can could last several hundred years, a plastic 6-pack cover 450 years, and a glass bottle virtually forever.

Picking up the trash costs big dollars. Even if we use inmates, someone has to supervise and haul it all away. At a time when the legislature is trying to cut costs without raising taxes, doesn’t it seem to you like properly disposing of your own trash beats raising taxes or limiting school funding?

I never actually see folks throwing things out the window so I have to assume they do it in such a way as to conceal the deed. That would seem to indicate that they already know the practice is not socially acceptable. So help me out here. What can we do to make Indiana highways cleaner, more attractive, and less costly to maintain?

I suppose one answer is the Adopt-A-Highway program. My hat is off to those who are willing to donate their personal time and personal safety to this cause, but why should it be necessary? If we want to stretch our tax dollars and be proud of Indiana, isn’t this one area where we could collectively grow up a little?