What is it about rubbish that people don't understand?

Why is it that people who are fastidious about their own personal cleanliness and the cleanliness of their homes can be so uncaring as to pollute their own country?

Why is it that people will readily open their car windows and throw out stuff that they no longer need, like an empty drinks can or a used tissue, food scraps or other refuse?

Do they think that it will somehow be useful to someone else?

Or do they salve their conscience with that cynical claim: "Oh, it keeps a Bangladeshi employed as a cleaner."

What base crassness or uncouthness is that?

What a legacy for their own children to inherit, a country full of rubbish because a parent didn't stop to teach their own children the importance of disposing of litter properly.

Of course, not all citizens are so uncaring or lacking in civic duty that they take their rubbish home with them and put it in a proper bin.

A friend told me of a recent incident where at a stop sign (yes, luckily he stopped) a burly man (he called him "fat", but I will show restraint) opened the car door and put an empty bottle on the road.

My friend honked and pointed to the bottle so that the "tubster" got out of his car, walked towards him in an intimidating manner and said: "What's your problem?"

"My problem is you and your attitude towards the country that I love and the manner in which you are quite happy to defile her with your rubbish," answered my friend.

"Well, f*** you," came back the intellectual giant and obvious wordsmith, menacing my friend by leaning into the window.

"I have your registration number and I am about to phone 911 and tell them of your littering," warned my friend. "Do you want me to add assault?"

Lard man leaned back, swore again and then waddled away.

He picked up the offending bottle, threw it in his car and accelerated away with a squeal of tyres.

I imagine, indeed hope, that the offender will just be a bit more cautious the next time he decides to dice out the detritus because that mere act will remind him (again I hope) of his humiliation when being fronted about not caring about his country.

My friend is a very proud Bahraini who has a profound sense of civic responsibility and if there were more like him, we would see less littering.

Such changes do not happen overnight because attitudes take a good deal of time to evolve, as does a heightened awareness of the need for improvement and the judicious practice of principles, no matter how small the item of litter.

Put it in your pocket and, when you get home, into a proper bin.

We'd all be better for a cleaner country and the government's cleaning bill would be reduced over time.

It starts with the shaming of offenders to make them change their ways.