Use Your Cell Phone To Swat Litterbugs

RALEIGH, N.C. — State Department of Transportation engineers are arming themselves with some new weapons in the battle against litter. "Mean About Clean" allows anyone with a cell phone to dial

(877) DOT-4-YOU

and drop the dime on litterers.

"We just can't keep up. There's no way we can. We're spending more and more money and more and more manpower, so with North Carolina Mean About Clean, we're hoping that people all across the state take an effective action against litter," said Heather Thompson of the state DOT.

When you call

(877) DOT-4-YOU

, a customer service representative on the other end of the line can help you swat a litterbug.

All callers can remain anonymous. You will be asked to tell who, when and where you saw littering. The litterbug gets a warning letter signed by the Highway Patrol and the Division of Motor Vehicles.

"I would definitely pick up the phone, yes, because I mean this is our state and we need to keep it clean," motorist Marcy Lipsey said. "It just makes our state look unclean, and I don't think that is what we want to represent."

"I think that's a great idea as many people as have cell phones these days, it's a lot easier. It's like that *SHP where you can just dial it and you get dispatched right through to somebody," motorist Chris Schwarting said.

The state of North Carolina used $6.3 million of your tax money to pick up roadside trash in 2000. The statewide road cleanup bill for last year almost doubled that, coming in at over $11 million.