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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThank you for publishing Francesca Brady’s editorial about the growing problem of trash in Indianapolis [BRADY: Time to tackle city’s most solvable problem, April 3]. We live on 86th Street, about five blocks from Ditch Road where there are a multitude of places to buy a snack or a beverage. We are proud of our neighborhood and are constantly picking up bags of trash within a 10-block area. It is very sad to see how Indianapolis, once one of the cleanest cities, has lost its pride.
Several things could be done. Ban drive-throughs and make people take 10 minutes to sit down and eat off of washable dish wear. Much of the food and snacks sold in our area are wrapped in single serve paper or plastic wrappers or containers, which people conveniently dispose of by throwing it out the window.
The second thing that could be done would be to require all pickup trucks to have a lid or cover. Trash dropped into the bed of a truck blows out when the vehicle reaches 40 or 50 mph. Third, make low-level criminals pick up all the trash in a five- to 10-block area instead of putting them in jail. Install lights and cameras at frequently used dumping spots. One or two $200 fines would pay for this technology. Lastly, the police should enforce the law and ticket people littering.
We need to shame and punish people into complying with the law. This problem is only going to get worse.
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Steven Pettinga
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