1/03/11, Nassau Park Parking Lot, #22

When the weather turned balmy following the holiday blizzard we received on December 26th, I was eager to get back to my litter patrol duties.  Since the ground was still snow-covered, I decided to get up early and go to the Wegman's supermarket at Nassau Park on Route 1.  I don't usually travel so far but whenever I've shopped in that line-up of stores over the past few months I have been struck by the large amount of trash strewn about.


Still leery from the incident at Shop Rite, I decided to check-in at the customer service desk before I began picking up trash.  I was assured by a very young store manager that it was no problem, but that there wasn't any place that I could put the trash I collected.  I decided that I would cart the garbage around in my car until I found a dumpster, and set out.  I was happily plucking trash from the front sidewalk of the store when an older store employee approached me.  Without meeting my eyes, he told me that I couldn't pick up trash in front of Wegman's, because if I was hurt while doing so, they would be held liable.  I was so disappointed.  He suggested that I pick up trash in front of Kohl's or Target instead.  He said that he would have his own staff members clean up trash in Wegman's parking lot, which made me feel awkward, because the last thing I wanted to do was to cause someone else additional work.   


There was still a ton of pavement and trash to keep me busy, and I filled two Hefty bags with soaking wet litter.  And hello, Wegman's?  You may not allow me to pick up anything in your parking lot, but I would say that 50% of the trash I picked up was imprinted with your name, most notably napkins, plastic bags, coffee cups, and receipts, plus tons of small plastic "sample" cups and forks. 

Is this personal crusade of mine ridiculous?  Since when is a good deed discouraged because of  (the highly unlikely chance of) potential liability?  Has society become that litigious?  I find it all very disturbing and perplexing.  I am not even half way through my personal challenge, and now I feel like despite my humble intentions I am potentially at risk for being considered a public nuisance by some of the places I am trying to help!