---
title: "On garbage and bribes"
author: "Stan Voo"
url: https://www.99rabbits.com/blog/on-garbage-and-bribes
published: 2011-05-09
summary: "We blame the government for dirty streets and corrupt officials, then litter and hand the traffic cop a bribe. When will we stop waiting for someone to clean up after us?"
---

# On garbage and bribes

The streets are dirty everywhere. [I went to the Kinburn Spit](http://maps.google.com.ua/maps/ms?hl=ru\&ie=UTF8\&msa=0\&msid=213421382199814693564.0004a2da7effb23de61ad\&ll=46.607941,31.59668\&spn=1.49249,2.469177\&z=9 "Our two-day weekend trip"), a wild stretch of Black Sea coast, and it's as filthy as Luzanovka, Odesa's crowded city beach.

Everyone says: "someone has to clean up!" and "why isn't anyone cleaning up?"

Have we forgotten that it's clean where people don't litter?

Are we waiting for a [big strong hand](https://www.99rabbits.com/blog/on-meritocracy) to clean up after us?

People! When will you wake up? When will you stop waiting for some big uncle? When, seeing someone litter in the street, will you go up and ask them to pick it up? Good God, when will you start cleaning up after yourselves?

For meanness you blame money, not mean people.

For dirty streets you blame a sluggish government, not the pigs who shit where they live and even where they come on holiday.

For road accidents you blame mythical speed demons, while you yourselves cross on red. When a traffic cop stops you, you slip him money, and in the evening, in the kitchen, you curse bribe-taking officials at the top of your voice.

There's no excuse for liars and loafers. **There's no excuse for endless excuses!**

In conclusion, I'll switch to "we": we deserve what we have. And if anyone suddenly wonders, "Why is everything here so...?", pinch yourself on the arm, hard, really hard.