Posted on by Shannon Shark @metspolice

Why do we throw garbage on the floor at baseball games?

Another interesting quote from David Howard:

But, typically, when people go to their seats, they just drop it (garbage) on the floor, which is sort of a baseball tradition

On Opening Day my son asked about that.  He wanted to throw his garbage away and his uncivilized dad told him to throw it on the floor in front of his seat.  He questioned me about it like 5 times.  Yep, go ahead.

He had a ball with the idea of it and later in the game he gleefully chucked his cup down.

It really is odd behavior.  How did this begin and why are we such animals?

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All today’s David Howard fun comes from this article in the Times in which we also learn there are no modifications that could cut down the wind at Citi Field.

12 Replies to “Why do we throw garbage on the floor at baseball games?”

  1. Probably originated from peanut shells or something, way back when when fans actually stood out in deep RF to watch a game sometimes on the grass. (And had to skatter when Babe Ruth hit one there. Hmm, is Ruth primarily responible for big grandstands in the outfield?!)

    i think it’s a combo of more paper waste with our food products, the idea of not getting up to interrupt the game..

  2. it’s a great question. i always did it through my childhood and adolesence, as i too was taught by my father. but sometime in the last 7-8 years, driven by my mom’s encouragement, we’ve started throwing out our stuff in garbage cans. if you think about it, we all really should. using images from this weekend and the dodger series, the mets should really put together a PSA to be played on the scoreboard asking fans to throw out their garbage.

  3. Tradition maybe? Also, I think it comes from people not leaving their seats a lot in the past. Seems there used to be a lot more vendors walking around, and you would get your stuff, eat, and then put the trash on the ground.

    Related point, have you seen how fast some of those trash bins fill up at Citi Field when it’s a full house?

  4. I’d guess it has to do with not wanting to climb over everybody in your row a second time just to throw away your garbage.

    I end up putting mine under my seat, and I usually remember to grab it and throw it out on the way out of the stadium.

  5. I was taught to throw things out even at games, but it wasn’t the social faux pas it was to do in the middle of the street. It might be akin to a movie theater, where it seems in vogue to just leave your food wherever it lays.

    Or, one could just be part of the modern (shameful) tradition of throwing your garbage everywhere, from the subway, to the buses, to restaurants.

  6. Because that’s what janitors are for.

    Sorry just reminded me of that classic Everybody Loves Raymond.

  8. Perhaps they can put up a plexiglass shield around the stadium to stop the wind problem. Whats a little more plexiglass around that place.

  9. When you leave your seat at the end of the game or between innings, so should your trash. We have a brand new stadium, let’s keep it looking good. Or are you also the people that don’t flush and leave it for the next person to find after you use the toilet?

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