It has been quite a while since I have heard from these guys but that is my fault. If you read what I write out here in internetland you already know that I talk a lot about a group called the Hash House Harriers which is by their own definition a group of "drinkers with a running problem." We are a silly bunch and when you see us you might think that we are just man-children (and women) but at the end of the day we are probably more conscientious members of society than people that don't wear silly shirts and get together for a run a couple times a week.
I got tome updates from a Hash Chapter in USA that did a small but effective clean up run today.
This particular group operates out of Virginia and they have a stretch of highway that is named in appreciation for them. When you adopt a highway, you are meant to help out in looking after it as far as trash removal is concerned. Now on one side of the picture here I think that is wonderful that they would choose to look after a highway but also feel like this is a nasty trick on the part of the city to get citizens to do a job for free. Whatever! they got their Hash Name on a sign in the end.
I do find it a bit funny that a lot of their cleanup seems to have them on the front lawns of privately owned property so I wonder, are these particular Hashers a bit stupid? I also suspect maybe they were being a bit lazy. I'm just joking, i have no idea what the thought process was here but I am just happy to see any Hash group get together and have a good time and well, clean up some garbage at the same time.
When I see these pictures though I can't help but feel as though this particular Hash - of whom I only know one member personally - would be appalled if they were to see what the side of the road generally looks like in Thailand. This place where they are looks like it was already cleaned many times whereas in Thailand if half a dozen of us went out to totally clean the side of a highway, it would take us all day to just get 100 meters of it done.
I guess USA just has vastly superior waste management and that isn't at all surprising.
in the end they were able to collect a few tires and 5 bags of trash and as you would expect, most of the trash was plastic. I often wonder how much plastic garbage there is on the side of the roads here in Chiang Mai. When we do a cleanup run we get a LOT more than that and this is without us even picking all of it up.
I big shoutout tothe Tidewater Hash House Harriers though, you are doing the good things for free to keep that area really looking great - and it does look great.
Have a beer on me (which I am sure you did) and keep it up for the next On On. Maybe come and see us in Thailand one day!
On On!
On On is the universal slogan of the Hash House Harriers, in case you were wondering
