Pines, Benches, and Rubbish Bins

On our bike rides through a nearby dune area, we pass various small pine groves with a bench. These usually consist of groups of 10 to 25 pines, and I assume they are man-made landscape elements—resting spots for walkers and cyclists. The pines provide shade, so on a summer day, you can rest in the coolness. These places undoubtedly have a calming effect. They are like little islands where you can dock for a while. Apart from the pines, there are few other trees, making it hot in the summer and bleak and windy in the winter. These spots exude peace, order, and shelter. Next to the benches, there’s always the inevitable rubbish bin. It’s nice to know you can count on there being a rubbish bin next to almost every bench—at least in nature areas. From certain corners of my social circle, I sometimes hear complaints that the Netherlands is over-regulated, with a rubbish bin next to every bench. As far as I’m concerned, it’s perfectly fine. I’d rather have rubbish bins everywhere than litter everywhere. Despite the many rubbish bins in our country, there’s still a lot of litter to clean up, so there’s nothing wrong with having plenty of them. There are hardly ever too many.

October 2024

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