Do you clean up after yourself?

[Middle Earther]

I have often wondered about this. I grew up in the NE US and I'm now living in Western Canada. I say that because I wondered if it was a more regional issue.

Do you clean up after yourself when eating in a fast food establishment or in a mall's food court?

Do you take your tray to the garbage can and throw stuff away?

I ask this because where I grew up (admittedly I haven't been living there since the late 80s) we always took our tray to the garbage and stacked the tray. I don't remember seeing a lot of garbage left at the table.

I noticed when I moved out here that often people do not clean up and leave the tray with the garbage on the table. It bugs me because I think it's rude, but I'm wondering if it's just a more regional issue.

What do you think? And if you can sort of leave a general idea of your location, because I'm curious. (This is probably the most Misc topic in Misc, btw!)

 

[backstept]

(This is probably the most Misc topic in Misc, btw!)

you'd be surprised


Central New York here, and while the malls around here have cleaning staff in the food court, it's definitely very rude to leave your tray at the table for them to clean up. I always throw my trash into the can and stack my tray on top.

 

[Kelthaz]

All the time. I'll scrape up any crumbs left on my table, throw the trash in the garbage can, and put the tray nearly into place on the stack. I'm not going to make anyone else clean up my mess; I wasn't raised by wolves.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

All the time. It's rude if you dont.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I do...it's very rude not to. Some people here still don't do it, though.

 

[TrekkieMonster]

I always clean up after myself everywhere, including where you describe.

For the record, I grew up in the US Pacific Northwest, where everyone is overly polite and thoughtful.

I've lived in Boston for 20 years and I can tell you that, in my experience, I see people clean up after themselves well less than 50% of the time in fast food or like settings.

They also leave their grocery carriages in parking spaces all the time, even when the return "corral" (or whatever you want to call it) is mere feet away.

But, that's a peeve for another thread.

p.s. -- can you tell I was in a grocery store parking lot at lunch today?

 

[Holdfast]

Depends on whether they have staff already going around clearing-up. If you can see a staff member going around tables and cleaning up (and it's usually obvious if there is), leave it for them. If there's no one around, I'll do it myself.

 

[Emher]

Always clean it up by myself. It's common fucking curtesy.

 

[iguana_tonante]

On the rare instances I go to fast-food joints, I do clean up after myself. Common courtesy. I live in Italy, tho, so maybe I'm a bit outside of your regional survey.

 

[Sledder]

I always clean up after myself, it's normally on the way out and it saves someone else the trouble while freeing up a table for someone else to use.

 

[Mallory]

I always clean up after myself.

 

[Captain Shaw]

Always take my rubbish to the bins.
Once i put the tray in the bin by mistake in McDonald's.
If its a cafe/restaurant and i am with someone else i will put all the plates into one pile as well when we have eaten.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

Yes. Whether it be in the dining area at a restaurant, at work after finishing a procedure, or in the common areas at my accommodation.

 

[Daneel]

Of course I do -- as others have said, it's common courtesy. Unfortunately, I've noticed that "common courtesy" seems to be a foreign concept to many people, particularly teenagers.

 

[Middle Earther]

I'm a bit surprised - I thought there would be some negatives, but I guess it's just my perception, then. I often see people around here leaving their tray full of garbage right where it is.

Or is it that Star Trek/ SF fans are generally a neater bunch?

 

[Daneel]

Or is it that Star Trek/ SF fans are generally a neater bunch?

Probably, yeah. We demand order.

 

[SmoothieX]

Yeah, anywhere where there isn't table service in the first place I'll take my tray back to the garbage can and take a napkin to wipe any crumbs off the table.

It's common courtesy.

Then I go to the men's room and pee all over everything.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Yes. But I don't sweep the floor or wipe the table down -- they have employees who get paid to have that kind of fun. ;-)

I think it's jsut polite and the right thing to do.


Often, say at Wal-Mart, I'll bring a shopping cart in even if not using it, just to clear up the lot a tiny bit. And when done with the handheld basket, I'll put it back while my groceries are being rung up.

 

[RandyS]

I do on rare occasions. My girlfriend typically gets up and clears away our table while I'm putting myself back in my wheelchair. Sometimes, when she goes to the restroom, I do it, and most of the time, when she's in the head, and I am getting in my wheelchair, one of the employees (food court, restraunt, what have you), will see me, and come over and offer to help.

 

[Kelthaz]

I'm a bit surprised - I thought there would be some negatives, but I guess it's just my perception, then. I often see people around here leaving their tray full of garbage right where it is.

Either that or people just aren't willing to admit that they're slobs.