.One.
A strategy that I tend to take, when I want someone to STOP IT, is to shame them into stopping. This has worked a number of times, but has recently become a failing strategy. Case in point:
A week or two ago I caught one of my neighbor’s kids throwing garbage on our lawn. Now, you need to understand that this is one of my BIGGEST complaints about where I live: the presence of garbage and cigarette butts all over our lovely little yard with the pond in it. Ew yuck.
Anyway, I caught an adolescent throwing garbage on the grass.
“Excuse me,” I said, clearly taken aback, “you shouldn’t litter in our yard. It makes it very unpleasant for other people who live here. And other people DO live here.”
The kid hung his head a little: “sorry.”
Then he promptly walked up the stairs without picking up the garbage.
Now I watch for him, because next time I’m calling the city and getting his parents FINED.
.Two.
The same guy at work who used to think he had an office (and play his music loudly in the common areas) has decided to use the ladies’ restroom. I caught him recently walking out and gaped at him appropriately.
“Excuse me, do you realize that’s the ladies room?”
“Yeah, sometimes I use it.”
“You shouldn’t.”
This shaming has also failed. Though I bring it up when I can, in the hopes of embarrassing him into using the room with the stick figure dude on the door.
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