Glo sticks: Litter, Cliches, or a Coolness Indicator?

They are cool in one way flying all around, but not cool because of mess you talked about. They make me think of the floating glow balls which look cool as hell but are real bad. So I have to say yes they are litter.

Litter with benefits.

On a festival ground it's not that big a deal since it's going to be cleaned anyway, not like around the campgrounds or out on a trail somewhere. We drop other trash like beer cups when in the middle of the mob.

And they are fun; they get re-used by the pickers. Not the same as drink straws in a park.

No question its litter, very eye pleasing litter as dozens fly through the air late at night but litter nonetheless.

I agree with Worf-- "Anytime you throw something on the ground, and don't pick it up again, you've littered. Period."

those asinine flags and the knuckle-draggers who wave them are way worse. Or maybe the cardboard figures blocking the view.

reminds me of a six year old pulling down his pants at an adult function to get attention.

One of them flying glow sticks could up landing in my beer so I'm against them. Maybe I'm being a negative Nancy but I view them as a nuisance. At least it's not as bad as a couple of metal shows I saw recently in baltimore where trash cans were hurled into the crowd

Definitely more. For the uninitiated you need to prepare yourself for glow stick wars.

It's all about context. Think about peanut shells. Litter? On my patio, yes. In the middle of a field, no.

An apple core tossed into the woods is not the same as one tossed onto the beach.

Visibility is a big factor as to litter, or not.

It's interesting how we've changed regarding litter over the years. In the early sixties even the socially conscious threw stuff out the window--that most of it was biodegradable was the thinking, but it's still litter. Some would bury or tuck cans or paper out of sight. Butts are now litter, but only recently (even after filters--non-filter is hardly litter if ground into the ground or field stripped). Plastic bags are the worst offenders now.

Go to the third world where all trash is tossed into the gutter, and now, there's a lot of plastic in it. That's where it's astoundingly bad. But then again, they have bigger problems.

(FTR I am obnoxiously anti-litter and pick it up constantly)

That's funny.

Sometimes, as with peanut shells and apple cores, it is a matter of context. Sometimes it isn't. Used motor oil in a plastic bucket isn't just litter it's a toxic environmental hazard to flora, fauna and ground water. Glow sticks much more akin to plastic buckets of used motor oil. They are  toxic environmental hazards.

Will swallowing the contents of one kill you? No. Will swallowing a teaspon of used motor oil kill you? No, it won't either. But they are both clearly not good for you and spreading around on the ground of a farm is pretty asinine.

I mean they probably won't choke a horse. And after all it's just a glowstick. No it is thousands upon thousands.

I think that they should count your glowsticks coming in and going out. You should have to eat the difference. Let's see Tim, you arrived with 2 boxes off 144 for a total of 288 and you now have 12. Oops, looks like you are going to have to chow down 276. Hope it was worth it dumbass.

By the way here is what the Poison Center has to say.

That is just my opinion. But I'm right.

It's disgusting.

I've always followed the Leave No Trace philosophy for myself. At festivals just as much as elsewhere.

I like to look at the glow sticks being thrown. I don't throw them nor do I slap balloons around the crowd. I do appreciate the uniqueness of the glow sticks. On a side note has anyone ever seen "Electric Apricot - Quest for Festaroo". If not it is a must. It is a National Lampoon's parody of a festival. Les Claypool directs and stars. One of the characters name is "Aiwass". He said he came up with the name when he got hit in the eye with a glowstick at a Phish show:)