What Do U C?
\u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

What Do You See in the Photo?<\/h4>\n

An early Jackson Pollock? A view of the earth from the edge of space? A beachside road where seagulls have marked their territory?<\/p>\n

Still not sure? Perhaps this riddle will help provide an Oh, I see moment<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

It has all the attributes of a good friend.<\/p>\n

\n
• It\u2019s long lasting.<\/li>\n
• It sticks through thick and thin.<\/li>\n
• It stays true to itself (it doesn\u2019t change in basic form or values).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  But unlike a good friend, it offers nothing concretely useful, it\u2019s annoying when it\u2019s not a part of your life, and it\u2019s disgusting when it\u2019s past its prime.<\/p>\n

  What is it? Do U C now? It’s chewing gum . . . in all its squashed, repugnant glory. And these days, it seems to be everywhere.<\/p>\n

  

  On The Street Where I Live
  \u00a9 Meredith Mullins<\/p><\/div>\n

  Gum Litter—It’s a Sticky Issue<\/h4>\n

  Life was bad enough when every desk in school had chewing gum stuck under it. Or, when you felt your way to a seat at a sports event or in a movie theatre and you invariably touched a hardened lump of someone else’s chewed-up rubber.<\/p>\n

  An even worse fate was when you stepped in a freshly strewn piece on the street and your shoe stuck to the pavement. It’s impossible to get the gooey mess off your sole.<\/p>\n

  

  Ewwww!
  \u00a9 Thinkstock<\/p><\/div>\n

  Now, it seems, gum chewers consider the streets their kingdoms. Throwing out their used-up gum wherever they happen to be is acceptable behavior.<\/p>\n

  Oh, I See It . . . Everywhere<\/h4>\n

  Lately, as I\u2019ve walked on the streets of the city I live in and love, I get riled up when I look down.\u00a0Once you know what the flattened spots are, you can\u2019t stop seeing them.\u00a0OIC<\/strong>\u00a0gum splats and splotches. And I see\u00a0them everywhere.<\/p>\n

  Gum is the second largest littering problem on the planet (after cigarette butts), and it seems to be leaving its indelible mark . . . on every city street.<\/p>\n

  Gum is gum for eternity. It is not biodegradable. It will not miraculously wash away with the first rain, or even with the whirling brushes of a normal street cleaner. The gum busters (see video) have to be called in, with their pressure steam and chemicals for removing this resistant material.<\/p>\n

  The cleaning process can\u2019t keep pace with the offenders, and the cost is in the multi-millions of dollars for countries\u2019 taxpayers every year.<\/p>\n