The Only Thing You Can Legally Toss Out Your Car Window in Texas
Does anybody else hate it when someone uses our Texas roads like an ashtray? Anytime I see someone flick a butt out their window, I get so angry that I wanna flick them right in their nose.
And no, folks, the still-smoking vessel of your dwindling cigarette is not the thing that you can legally toss out of your car window in Texas.
The following items are always considered littering: Cigarette butts, gum and gum wrappers, apple cores, banana peels, and other fruit – despite being compostable. There are specific bins for that and therefore considered litter if not disposed of that way, and trash that flies out of a car window or truck bed — accidentally or otherwise
One of my daughters regularly eats strawberries on the way to school and if she comes across a sour one, I roll the window down and tell her to "let it fly!" Turns out that is not okay either.
There are some pretty hefty fines fines for littering in Texas. According to the Don’t Mess With Texas website, "You can face a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both if you litter less than or equal to five pounds or five gallons. The punishment for repeat offenses can reach $2,000 in fines and 180 days in jail. The fine for illegal dumping is worse if the trash weighs more than five pounds."
So, what is the one thing it's fine to "let fly" while you're driving down our Texas roads?
Liquid from a drink. That's it. That's the whole list.
You can only throw liquid from a drink out the window. Anything else qualifies as “littering,” and we Don't Mess with Texas, y'all.