Rubbish and riding

I have been riding a bicycle in Amman for quite a while and would like to bring up an issue I see absolutely every time I ride: people throwing trash out of their cars.

A friend of mine, pointing to a black plastic bag floating in the wind, said it was the official bird of Jordan.

I just do not understand this practice of people callously throwing trash out their car windows.

I can only think of two rationales for this action: they do not even think about it; they feel it is not a problem as a man in a green jumpsuit will clean up after them.

Either way, it is a disgusting behaviour. 

And before one excuses this behaviour with the line about having bigger issues/problems to deal with in Jordan and “environmental concerns” are luxury issues, I wish to say they are not. 

Jordan is a beautiful country; tourists come from all over the world to see the natural wonders of Jordan. Despite this fact, without fail, I will see someone throwing trash out of the car window every time I go on a bike ride. And I take it personal. 

Not just because I care about the country I have been fortunate to call home for the past two years, but also because I am tired of avoiding broken glass on Jordan’s roads from slobs who throw bottles out of their windows. 

Not only is it costly to replace tyres, it is also dangerous as I am forced to swerve in the road, which is incredibly dangerous in Amman.

Drivers here are absolutely oblivious to cyclists, much less pedestrians, as they are too busy blabbing on their cellular phones (which I was absolutely shocked to hear is actually against the law, one of the most un-enforced laws in history) and/or smoking their cigarettes.

Thankfully, there are wonderful organisations in Jordan dedicated to environmental issues: The Jordan River Foundation, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and others. 

It would just be nice if more Jordanians kept their trash in their cars until they got home or to a rubbish bin, rather than carelessly throwing it out for me to ride over or a municipal worker to have to pick up after.

Blake Selzer,
Amman