Help reduce litter in NYC, please!

This is where litter should go. Please be an example and let your friends & family know!

A well-dressed, middle-aged caucasian woman, looking quite respectable, was walking in front of me on the subway platform when she nonchalantly throws her candy wrapper onto the subway tracks before putting the piece of chocolate into her mouth. I came this close to giving her a piece of my mind. However, I wondered if she would just get upset; I wondered if she even realized that there was a litter problem in NYC. Otherwise, why would she even do such a thing. I wondered if she even spoke English. Ultimately, as she probably lived in the area, if I had told her not to do what she just did, I became concerned about being targeted by her and her clan. With the amount of cray-crays and nut jobs everywhere, I opted to keep my mouth shut. I was furious, but I was too chicken to say anything.

For someone who loves New York despite its issues and who still enjoys living here, I've often wondered how the city could tackle the litter problem. It's an embarrassment that affects quality of life, but which I believe can be remedied with some anti-littering campaigns and some serious fines. To ensure the issue gets better with succeeding generations, adding an anti-littering program to the K-12 curriculum can only help. It certainly can't hurt. I realize the city has so many issues to deal with, and we will always have newcomers who think they can do as they do wherever they're from, if the city makes this a priority, we can at least be hopeful that some day, despite the grimy and in some places, gross condition of the subway, we can look forward to less and less litter on the tracks.

If you are a New Yorker and you are one of the many who throw trash on the train tracks, please stop. Yes, you are only one person, but the absence of just your trash alone will make a huge difference in our quality of life here. Just trust me on that. If you are a parent, teach your kids not to do it. If you are with friends, tell them not to do it. As for strangers who do it, I would probably continue to refrain from saying anything. Chances are there's already a screw loose up there. Otherwise, why would someone do such a thing. Really. Besides, if we all do our part, these imbeciles will eventually get the picture and stop doing it. But remember, it has to start with you.

Thanks in advance for not throwing litter on the train tracks from here on out.