Sir, – Why do so many Irish people, from a population of only 4.7 million, leave their rubbish behind them and expect others to clean up after them?
Japan, despite having a population of 127 million, does not have rubbish bins on the streets, be it in Tokyo or the smallest village, and yet there is no, and I mean absolutely no, rubbish to be found on its streets or public places.
The simple reason is that their civic pride means people are expected to take responsibility for their own actions and so they take their rubbish home with them.
Consequently they live in a clean environment.
If we Irish could adopt the same principles of responsibility for own actions, we too would have a much cleaner, safer and, dare I say, less litigious society. – Yours, etc,
TOM RYAN,
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.