Originally Posted By ssWEDguy It's important for parents to teach their own children by example. When you encounter a piece of trash on the ground in DisneyWorld and you are a guest and there isn't a custodial type anywhere in sight, what do you do? Do you walk past it and wonder "Where are the cleaning people?" "That's not my trash." "It's not my job to pick it up." and walk on by? Or do you simply pick it up and drop it in the trashcan in full view of your children, and say instead with your actions "This park is our park too -- We want it to look nice." As much as people marvel at the way Disney parks are kept clean, and where even the non-custodial CMs and managers will pick up trash -- how much more powerful an image it would be for kids to see their parents pick up a piece of trash that wasn't theirs, and they even paid to get into this park! Conspiracy pathologists would suggest that "This is what management wants people to do, so they can lay off more custodials." Maybe. They might even be right. But it still doesn't change the fact that keeping things clean is a societal matter. It's not just the province of the official cleaners. People at large are expected to use trash cans, to not create a mess by not using them. So aren't we already helping by not creating extra work? So why not help by picking something else up? Walt wasn't trying to put so much custodial into the park so it would stay clean. But by putting so much custodial into the park, he was using the guest's built-in desire for the place to be clean, so that they would naturally participate in the process. I might be going to far with this. I'm not talking about issuing guests brooms and dustpans at the turnstiles. And I'm not talking about asking people to pick up fluids, a dumped ice cream bar, cigarette butts, or turkey leg bones. (Yes some people drop these on the ground!) But I've seen too many guests simply step over a simple single piece of paper like a cash register receipt, and just let it lay there. It's important to keep that first piece of trash from hitting the ground. And to do that you have to keep trash from being on the ground at all, at least for very long. Yes paying $60 to get in is expensive. You expect a lot, and you expect it to be clean. That should be the case. But I just don't think even paying to get in means you should do less than you would do in your own home for your own guests. Selah.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy So you know where I stand on important issues -- Are there enough custodials in the park? No. There should be more. Have they cut back on custodial budgets too much? Yes. There should be more. Should custodials be posted in high volume restrooms more often? Yes. Should they pressure wash the sidewalks every day? Not necessarily. Should they pressure wash them more often than they do now? Yes. Are they figuring the daily summertime rainshowers are a free sidewalk washing? Maybe. Is it harder to get and keep the best people these days? Yes. Do CM's not care anymore? Absolutely not. Most are gems. But there are some not-gems. Or at least the "clueless." Don't have a feel for the percentage.
Originally Posted By Labuda If I see something on the ground, and no custodial CM nearby and I can safely get to it without my fingers being stepped on, I'll go ahead and pick it up, ESPECIALLY if there's a trahcan just a couple or few feet away. And, actually, I'm more likely to do that if I can do it without touching if it's food waste like an empty drink cup or popcorn box. Yeah, it's not my job and I'm giving Disney free labor, but if I do it at home, why wouldn't I do it at Disney?
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys I have been known to pick up trash in the parks and deposit them in the nearest recepticle. It's my way of counteracting the actions of the people who do not view Disney as a special place. To be fair, I am sure there is trash that may be on the ground from people who don't realize that they dropped it.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy Thanks, Labuda. You're doing the right thing. But then of course both you and I are already members of the choir.
Originally Posted By alisserae Being CMs it's a bit of a habit to grab trash when we're in the parks. However, we make a special effort when in que lines to do so. Custodial rarely walks the entire line, and we're just standing there waiting anyways. It's the right thing to do, and it's an easy thing to do.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper 65,000 cast members; I'd say that there is a good chance some don't care. A "habit" is an understatement. Picking up trash was hammered into me so hard at the MK that to this day I still bend down and pick up trash in public places and it isn't even a conscience decision. My wife will say, "do you realize you just picked up a piece of trash?" I'm like, "what?" And she will say, "we are at a gas station and you just picked up trash and threw it away." It is good for the Earth I suppose, but I'm sure people look at me like I have two heads. I've done it someplace like a Toys 'R Us and then someone will walk up to me and ask me questions about the store. I'll say, "um, I don't work here and can't help you." Then they give me this look like, "well, you just picked up that trash."
Originally Posted By alisserae ^^^Last night we stopped by Epcot for a spin on Maelstrom. It was dissapointing when I was able to give a guest more information, on where to find the nearest pretzel cart (Germany BTW), than the working CM. It makes me sad that fewer and fewer CMs take pride in their jobs.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> My wife will say, "do you realize you just picked up a piece of trash?" I'm like, "what?" << wahooskipper -- This is really cool, and a right thing. Picking it up should be so mindless and natural (for everyone!) that you do it without thinking. Are you nuts? Yes. But in a good way. Disney CM's are nuts too -- thank goodness. Doing something "not mine" but just because it's right is a good thing to learn and carry with us to other lives someday.
Originally Posted By sherrytodd We've made it a point to teach our son to pick up other people's garbage. Whenever we hike, the rule is that everyone has to carry out at least one piece of trash. It's sad that we have to teach our children to pick up after others instead of everyone simply picking up after themselves.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Once upon a time Walt said "All I ask is you keep my park clean" It is very sad to see trash on the ground. Pause for one moment after the parades or fireworks or Fantasmic and look at the amount of trash people think their personal maids will take care of! Yes I always pick up trash I encounter. Sometimes I wish DL would have silent watchers in the park to tap me on the shoulder to say thank you. Maybe I will just think Walt is thanking me silently.
Originally Posted By MinnieSummer We always pick up stuff if we see it laying around. My only rule is that if it's food or kleenex and I don't have a baby wipe to grab it with the stuff stays on the ground. I will pick-up cups or food containers though. My daughter has learned from my example and if theres not a trash can close by she stuffs her garbage in my purse (I hope it's just her garbage- eeeeeewwww) which could explain why my purse is a dasaster by the time we get back to the hotel each night.
Originally Posted By t1lersm0m Well, I can't say what I'd do in a Disney park, but at cub scouts we have to straighten up the room we use when we are done. So I have Tyler help me do it. So someone had spilled juice on the floor, and I told him to go into the bathroom and get paper towels and clean it up. He kept trying to tell me that he didn't spill it. I said that it didn't matter as we are responsible for keeping the room clean and that it's nice to clean up after others. Maybe the person who spilled it didn't realize they did it. I think he was confused and thought he was in trouble, and that's why he was giving me a hard time. So anyway, I don't know if I'm walking along in say MK and see someone's french fries all over the ground, I'm not sure I'd pick them up. What's the assumption, that we responsible guests should pick up every piece of trash we encounter? Where do we draw the line? It's a nice idea, and I'm sure if I was standing in front of a trash can throwing my own stuff away and saw a cup on the ground I would pick it up, but to just stop and randomly pick stuff up? Probably not. Does that make me a bad person? I hope not.
Originally Posted By danyoung >It was dissapointing when I was able to give a guest more information, on where to find the nearest pretzel cart (Germany BTW), than the working CM. It makes me sad that fewer and fewer CMs take pride in their jobs.< While I agree with you in theory, perhaps a bit of a reality check is in order. The fact is that we Disney park geeks often know more than probably 90% of the park employees. This doesn't necessarily mean that 90% of the CM's don't care about their job. Many of them have been there for only a few weeks or months, and haven't had the time to learn where the nearest pretzel cart is. Now, if the CM snapped off a rude comment and rolled his eyes, then there'd be a problem! We can't judge all of the CM's by our high standards. It's only natural that they don't know as much as we do. After all, they only work there, while we LIVE there (or at least want to!).
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I'd pick up the trash, but I have my hands full... cigarette in one, refillable mug in the other... not to mention I am pushing a double wide stoller.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> Sometimes I wish DL would have silent watchers in the park to tap me on the shoulder to say thank you << I have more than once picked up something and put it in the trash and have a nearby custodial person tell me "Thank you!"
Originally Posted By alisserae There's a difference between an "I'm sorry I don't know, let me find someone who can answer that question for you." & a blank stare with a "Huh?"
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> My only rule is that if it's food or kleenex and I don't have a baby wipe to grab it with the stuff stays on the ground. << Agreed. I wouldn't pick up a pile of spilled french fries either. Even as a CM I won't pick up eaten on foods unless I've got some tools to do it with. >> Where to draw the line? << Not an easy thing. But I would at least say that a single piece of clean white paper, like a cash register receipt, and a trash can within 10 feet is on the "Yes, pick it up" list.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I work for a utility company so I am always outside. I frequently pick up soda cans and trash that are around the places where I work. However, I can not pick up any containers what contain or have contained alcohol, beer bottles, beer cans. As these items in my truck ( even empty trashed ones ) are a firable offense. This probably should not bother me but it really does as I know how easy it is to pick up a can or a bottle. Ever since my cousin died in that nightclub fire in RI, I have been donating all the aluminum cans to the Georgia Firemen's Burn Fund. When I'm in the mountains up at my mountain house I and many others routinely pick up trash as we hike the mountains.
