Ever see someone throw trash from their car window and want to do something about it? Well, now you can.
It’s not quite a citizen’s arrest, but an average of 1,025 Texans every month open their mailboxes to find a letter from the state saying they’ve been busted as litterbugs.
The letters are triggered by the report-a-litterer portion of the Don’t Mess with Texas campaign sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation.
People submit alleged litterbugs’ license plate numbers and other details, and TxDOT sends the letters when it finds a match through its vehicle registration database. Each letter is accompanied by a litter bag emblazoned, “Real Texans Don’t Litter.”
To report someone, go to www.dontmesswithtexas.org or call 888-839-8683. Reports are anonymous, so the person you rat on won’t know who did it. I like the idea of this, but I’m not sure how effective it will be. The story doesn’t indicate how long this program has been in place, or if there has been any kind of study to see if it has effected a change of behavior on the part of those who got caught. There’s a psychological satisfaction in doing something like this, but I hope there’s more to it than that.
One assumes the complainant sends in a photo or video documenting the littering?
One assumes the complaint does not because the complainant is not required to. The complainant just states he or she saw someone litter. And provides the license plate.
What a wonderful new way to harass someone.