Coming back from lunch, students should refrain from carelessly tossing their trash and drink cups into the back of other vehicles around them. This remains a common courtesy and respect for another’s property.
Everyday, students drive to school and leave their vehicle in the parking lot. These vehicles range from brand new cars off the lot to old work trucks from the barn. Nevertheless, these cars/trucks takes a person where they need to go. The owner or a family member most likely pays for its gas, oil changes, car washes, possible car payments and other costly expenses as well. Absentmindingly throwing soda in truck beds or leaving trash on top of cars blatantly disrespects the vehicle along with the owner.
Janitors already work to keep the parking lot clean of litter and garbage strewn about. Failing to just merely carry leftover food and bags to the trash can provide more work for the janitorial staff. The trash could blow out of the truck, spewing hundreds of napkins, wrappers and empty drink cups all over the extensive parking lot. This could easily make an hour’s worth of work suddenly drag into a miserable two hours of not being able to go home and spend time with family. It doesn’t seem right to make the school clean up trash when it is just as easy to throw it away.
Compared to most other high schools in the county, Decatur built an expansive facility to give students a quality atmosphere to learn in. Along with a top-notch athletic facility, ag barn and school in general, the parking lot does not struggle to maintain every vehicle driven to school. It is spacious enough to allow students to park wherever they please and without fear of needing park too close to another car. Purposefully trashing it and the vehicles occupying spaces makes the lot look ragged and unkempt. Students should take pride in being given the opportunity to learn in a prestigious school. Leaving it clean and aesthetically acceptable doesn’t have to be a priority, but should not be ignored.
Students should take a good look at their own vehicles and ask themselves whether or not they like having to pick up garbage out of it. If the answer is no, they need to abstain from lazily tossing drinks or other leftover lunches into another vehicle. If any cliché rings true at all, it is the one saying to ‘treat another as you would like to be treated.’ Or as the the edited version goes, ‘don’t throw french fries in someone else’s truck.’
