Why Are Americans So Dirty?

I know I'll get a smurfstorm after me for this. Oh well. My fiance and I live roughly 220km apart right now. I live in downtown Vancouver, he lives just outside of Seattle. Naturally we visit back and forth on weekends and whenever else we can.

For the most part, the cities are pretty similar, though we have I think 4x the population of Seattle. The difference I cannot get over is the LITTER everywhere there. Not as much in the downtown core (though even that's pretty trashed), but the surrounding neighbourhoods and the suburbs, even the really upscale ones, are filthy! Trash 2 feet from the can! There's dog smurf, fast food wrappers, old clothes, bits of metal, cans, glass bottles, water bottles, broken glass, all over the place. I've noticed it on other US cities and towns too, so it's apparently not a Seattle specific thing.

Let me illustrate, for those of you who haven't been to Vancouver or haven't noticed it if you have: I feel wholly comfortable letting DD run around barefoot outside our building, on the sidewalks and in the street if it's quiet. We walk to the park barefoot often in warmer months. There is no poop left on the sidewalks to step in, no burger wrappers to stick to your feet, no glass or nails to avoid. Don't believe me? Use Google's Streetview, go to downtown Vancouver, and see for yourself. It's not like we have a squad of trashmen who clean up after us more. People just do not litter. The times I've seen someone litter here, others will either go pick up the trash and throw it away themselves, or tell the person to pick it up and put it where it belongs.

Why are Americans such litterbugs? Why don't they like their city to be clean and nice? Laziness? Carelessness? The good ol' American attitude of "I don't give a smurf?" What?

I live in America and my town is pretty damn clean. We get a letter from the city if we have not mowed out lawn..or have weird stuff out of place.

Quoting GrumpsMama.:" I live in America and my town is pretty damn clean. We get a letter from the city if we have not mowed out lawn..or have weird stuff out of place. "

  
Sounds like you're just seeing a dirty area.

Where I live is clean?
Ever been to Toronto? When I went there was litter EVERYWHERE.

Um smurf you! Don't base all Americans on what you've seen in some towns. My town is very clean and I hardly ever wear shoes!

A little of all of the above? Not all of us are that way though and not every town/city is dirty either. My town is clean.  

Quoting L♥J:"    Sounds like you're just seeing a dirty area."

   
yes some areas are disgusting but its not that bad.

That's gross.
I can't really relate but it's probably because I live by the beach and people are very conscious about what ends up in the ocean.
Or maybe I'm so used to all of the filth that I just don't notice it LOL
No but seriously, I've never stepped on a burger wrapper while walking my dog through my neighborhood and I cruise barefoot all of the time

Also, there is a whole world out there.
I bet there are places in Vancouver that are just as dirty.

I often think the same thing. Like the other day at the zoo with my friend... a trash can was less than four feet away but her and her mother flicked their cigarette butts on the ground and left them. :/

I suppose it depends on the area honestly. Not really an American thing. Some areas here are nice, some areas are trashed.

I really can't answer that.

I just know I smurfing hate cigarette butts all over the place.

Quoting GrumpsMama.:" Also, there is a whole world out there. I bet there are places in Vancouver that are just as dirty. "

Seriously, I hate when people pull the "Why are AMERICANS so______ card."
 

Quoting GrumpsMama.:" I live in America and my town is pretty damn clean. We get a letter from the city if we have not mowed out lawn..or have weird stuff out of place. "

DF thought Seattle was clean too until he came up here. You don't see it when you're that used to it. When it's unusual to you, you notice it.

I'm not seeing a dirty area, I've been in loads of places in the US. Cities, town, country. The trash is everywhere. Strewn all over the place, especially the highways, but all over suburbia and the cities too. It's gross!

Laziness, entitlement, "Idgaf". Not all places are like that though.