Whippet Guy needs to start respecting Mother Nature

“Whippet Guy” has been huffing off CO2 cartridges for about a month straight and still can’t figure out how to pick up his bottles and cans down at Main Area West. Once a week for at least the past month, I’ve taken my trash grabbers and bucket down to the secluded sandy shores of Main Area West on […]

June 28, 2011; 6:56 AM • by Phil Riggan

“Whippet Guy” has been huffing off CO2 cartridges for about a month straight and still can’t figure out how to pick up his bottles and cans down at Main Area West.

Once a week for at least the past month, I’ve taken my trash grabbers and bucket down to the secluded sandy shores of Main Area West on the south bank of the James between the Atlantic Coast Line Bridge and Boulevard Bridge. I adopted this area and have been noticing this disturbing pattern of abuse by Whippet Guy.

I don’t have a problem with people trying to have a good time at the river — what you chose to do with your body is your business. However, I do have a problem with people being bold enough to carry in alcohol and CO2, but who don’t have the guts to clean up after themselves. There is mounting evidence that this is the same crew every week, at least for some of this mess.

Main Area West is an official parcel of the James River Park, but the foot traffic there is low, partly due to the fact that so few people know about it but mostly due to the sparse parking and difficult hillside access. I’ve grown accustomed to finding lost flip-flops, fishing gear and whatever else winds up in this natural dumping ground for the James.

Cleaning up after Whippet Guy each week has trained me that there are some park-goers who don’t respect Mother Nature and don’t deserve to enjoy this beautiful area of the river. I mean, piling up driftwood for a bonfire is not encouraged in the park, but if you must do it, how about not throwing your bong cans/bottles into the fire? How about not vandalizing trees?

You brought a garbage bag down this week, why didn’t you use it Whippet Guy? You just left that unused with all the cans all over the granite boulders and left the CO2 cartridges spread all out in the sand. Why? How stupid are you? How many brain cells have you killed? Why do you treat the James like it was your parent’s basement?

Inhalant abusers are commonly referred to as “huffers.” Symptoms and effects included slowed reflexes, double vision, odor of the substance abused, and red eyes. Frequent abuse may result in damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, and blood and bone marrow, and central nervous system, according to an inhalant drug fact sheet.

Despite the relatively low number of visitors in comparison to other parts of the JRPS, maybe there needs to be more well-intentioned visitors, people who could somewhat force the irresponsible knuckleheads that apparently never learned to clean up after themselves to be more courteous.

June 28, 2011 6:56 AM 0