Litter is any form of solid waste. Is cigarette ash litter?

Question

I ashed out my window in the rain and received a 230 dollar ticket for "littering from motor vehicle". If ash breaks up before it hits the ground and the rain washed it away how can it be litter?

Answer 1

I would say that it is not liter but you got a police officer that had a bad day, try and talk to the judge and see what he will say.....

Answer 2

The only reason you got the ticket is because you were caught. I'm sure the other examples you mentioned would be treated the same way.

Answer 3

Ashes aren't litter. Maybe he thought you threw a cigarette butt out the window?

Answer 4

I think cigarette ash is litter because, even though it usually breaks up before it hits the ground, because it also contains nicotine and tobacco, which are poisons. Also, any kind of ash is usually hard to wash away with water (ever dropped an ash tray at home and then got it wet?)

Answer 5

Well, it may not seem like a big deal but there are lots of things that wash away as you said that you may look at differently than your ash, like an ice creme shake for example. But I'd rather my child step on someone’s left over shake than ash from a cig with all the toxins in it. Plus the ash in larger amounts doesn't just wash away easy like a shake would. However, I see what you are saying and I think especially since I've never heard of anyone being pulled over for this before that he was just making a point (that you obviously would probably not agree with) since they are trying in almost every state now to crack down on smoking. I think that was more of the issue and a legal loophole helped him pull you over for the, in his opinion, impolite way you were disguarding the ash. I'm highly allergic myself (and watched my grandmother who I Ioved very much die a slow painful death due to smoking) so honestly I'm not a fan of smoking either but if you take you ticket before the judge maybe they'll dismiss it for you. I guess if there were a gasoline leak on a car or something flammable it might be considered a danger too???