I was shocked. Stunned.

“How could someone do that … and right here?” I said to my husband and daughter.

Here we were sitting in a fast food drive-thru when the car in front of us opened up their car door and dumped an insulated coffee cup and lid onto the pavement. Perhaps it’s the teacher in me that couldn’t stand by and let them litter in such a way. Or perhaps my aggravation got the best of me since they had just passed a trash can in the drive-thru lane twenty feet earlier. Whichever it was, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.  I got out of the car and walked to their driver’s side window which was open in anticipation of receiving their food.

“Is this your coffee cup here you just dumped out of your car?” I said to the driver. Stunned by my question, she stumbled for what to say.

“I’ll just pick it up for you and put it in the trash can you just passed.” I said.

“He can do it,” she said (presumably referring to a passenger in the vehicle). However, no one got out.

I reached down, picked up their discarded wet cup, carried it to the trash can, and got back in my car just in time to watch them drive away laughing. The disregard for property and the disrespect of others to clean up their mess saddened me.

As parents we teach our kids through everything we do–good, bad, or otherwise. Our kids are watching … how would you respond?