I know it sounds silly, but I am unemployed, and I have to have something to do. So I take a walk almost every day and while walking I do an informal litter survey.

Usually the largest portion of liter is beer related, but today I saw more empty cigarette packs than beer containers.

I also know there are a lot of vibrating cars out there, because wheel weights are very common along the streets and road where I walk.

Today I found a fill plug out of somebody's transmission. How long will a car run after that plug falls out? This one was from a manual transmission. They are usually checked and/or refilled at a hole that is high on one side. The oil in manual transmissions is usually thick and heavy so it probably doesn't splash around too much and might only run out on steep curves. But sooner or later it will cause the transmisson to fail. For one thing, a lot of dirt and water can get in through the hole where the plug fell out.

There are a lot of people driving around taking diet pills. Apparently they pop a pill and toss the blister pack out the window. I see a lot of those.

In affluent neighborhoods, I see Starbucks cups. In depressed neighborhoods, I see Mountain Dew cans. Has recycling aluminum cans gone out of style?

What is that kid back there in the car seat doing? I have seen several sipper cups, and even a couple of Legos alongside the road. Once I saw a nice, clean, unused diaper. Fast food plastic spoons are common, too.

But the king of litter is beer. Several times I've seen a 12-pack of empties. Are they ashamed to take them home and put them in the trash?

Do I pick this stuff up? No. Germs. But I did keep the transmission plug. I have a small drawer full of various sizes of plugs like that. You never know when one will fall out of your own transmission.
Howard