‘Don't be a Tosser’ anti-litter campaign targets lorry drivers.

BBC Suffolk has reported that the Road Haulage Association (RHA) is calling on lorry drivers to stop littering roadsides with bottles full of urine.  The ‘Don't be a Tosser’ anti-litter campaign has highlighted the problem that "amber bottles" are a common sight on the A14 approach to the Port of Felixstowe.  

John Howells, Eastern Regional Director of the RHA, said: "It is effectively anti-social behaviour.  We tell the drivers it's something they shouldn't be doing."

Paul Davey, spokesman for the Port of Felixstowe said: "We've made sure that bins and other amenities are at the entrance to the port.  It's always difficult with any sort of behavioural change of habits that have become ingrained, but you have to keep plugging away at it.  It's not an excuse for throwing them out of the cab window that you don't know where the bins are."

While not condoning the litter problem, Mr Howells said there was a lack of places to stop for lorry drivers.  "I can pass the message on to the other regions that we accept sometimes you have to wee in a bottle because of lack of facilities, but, if you do, don't throw it out of the window," he said.

Possibly more worrying still is the prospect of an HGV hurtling down a road with the driver paying more than enough attention to his toilet arrangements.  Maybe we should worry less about the litter and more about how the urine made it into the bottle in the first place.  Perhaps the job description of a co-driver might have to be amended to meet this apparently essential need.  It must be particularly difficult for the driver if he has to take a call on his mobile at the same time!