Butt Why?

Yesterday afternoon, after a frenzy of phone calls to friends to see if anyone would go sailing with him, my husband had me drop the kids off with my in-laws and go with him myself. I don't do this too often, 1) because the kids don't much like to sail--the speed and splashed-up water freaks them out a little (and I can't leave them on the beach alone), and 2) I'm not all that helpful with the rigging, being sort of petite. But yesterday we went, and other than feeling slightly nervous (I don't much like it when the boat starts tipping) and slightly nauseous, we had a good time. We missed out on the dolphins my husband usually sees jumping right alongside him, so that was a disappointment, but it was still a very nice afternoon.

While we were there, a lady was packing up her kids to leave the beach, and while getting them into their car seats, found she wasn't nearly as dextrous with a cigarette in her hand. So she threw the longish butt out onto the beach. This bothers me on a variety of levels, but I'll try to rein myself in to one single rant. My question--and it's one I've puzzled over for some time now--is how can a person who clearly enjoys nature and outdoor pursuits just toss still-burning trash right into the middle of it all? Did she not realize that she was littering? Because cigarette butts are trash, no question. Did she somehow think that one little butt wouldn't make a difference? Even if that were the case, she probably smoked several cigarettes while at the beach herself, and I'm sure she tossed out all the butts. Does she like going to the beach, driving up to see empty bottles, wrappers, and....CIGARETTE BUTTS?? Not really my idea of a lovely day-at-the beach.

But this happens everywhere. We'll be hiking in the mountains and see people do the same thing. I don't get it--it's counter to common sense. Of course, so is smoking, but that's another post altogether. In the last house I lived in, my neighbor's father was a smoker. He used to wander around outside smoking and then toss all the butts into my yard. (Likely his daughter had told him not to drop them in hers). So, I'd find them, and rather than throw them away, I'd toss them right back. Let her find them and chew her dad out for littering. In my opinion, butt-tossers should be fined as litterers, and much more heavily fined for littering in recreational spaces. But I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon. Can you tell this just totally bugs me??
---Rant now over---