Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Gumless America

Get rid of chewing gum.
  (+13, -9)
(+13, -9)
  [vote for,
against]

It's everywhere you go; on pavements, on the corners of desks, under chairs - and it's yucky. Let's take a stand. Yay!
Jim, Jan 07 2001

Singapore's Gum Laws http://homer.pacifi...te/files/gumlaw.htm
[1978tomy, Jan 07 2001]

Bubble Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo http://www.slo-onli...m/images/bubble.JPG
Yep, that stuff on the wall is exactly what you think it is... [rmutt, Jan 07 2001]


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Annotation:







       Just the other day, I was astounded to see the local mall parking lot spattered fairly evenly (at least in my viewing range) with gum spots. It will be interesting when it fossilizes.
centauri, Jan 07 2001
  

       Maybe it could be put upright and recycled as a climbing wall?
jutta, Jan 07 2001
  

       More importantly, if mountain climbers habitually chewed gum and left it stuck to the sides of mountains, pretty soon even the toughest cliff face would have some useful extra handholds.

Guess I'll have to vote against my own idea now. Dang.

Oh no wait, maybe that's a bad thing. Mountain climbers don't want it to be easy (otherwise they wouldn't do it, right?) so it's another example of why we don't want gum left stuck everywhere. Phew.
Jim, Jan 08 2001
  

       Spit out gum--uuh. Count 'em; there're more at driveup windows.
reensure, Jan 08 2001
  

       I seem to remember at a certain amusment park I frequented there was a tree nick named "the bubble gum tree" because everyone in line would stick their gum to it before they got on the ride. Don't know if that was my parents playing some mean joke on me or not, but I have often thought about it when I get on roller coasters.
barnzenen, Jan 08 2001
  

       I'd say allow gum, but disallow spitting it out on the ground. There's no problem as long as people don't litter. Might as well prohibit candywrappers.
badoingdoing, Jan 09 2001
  

       yes im anti gum on seats extra but how can u ban gum chewing when you let people smoke chewing gum on youre trousers sucks but it doesnt give you cancer
lost not found, Feb 03 2001
  

       Once we're able to quicly determine DNA from spit with a cheap 'n' easy method, just have gum police. They go around, pick up old gum, run it through the machine and then send you your fine in the mail. Everyone will either throw their gum in the garbage, or just be more creative when they litter.
Wes, Feb 03 2001
  

       I have to clean tables and trays at a food court. I would be elated if this actually passed.
nick_n_uit, Feb 04 2001
  

       It's a hideous habit--especially the snaps and pops performed by overzealous teen-agers. But it's a great medium. I'm thinking Silly Putty. If it's fresh, it's formable, and I'm sure there exist artists who'd be happy benefactors of chewed-gum donations. (Don't laugh--I read about some lady who made sculptures of dryer lint. True, dryer lint is infinitely less offensive than old chewing gum, but it's not nearly as pliable a medium.) Maybe you could pinpoint sculptors who work with, uh, recycled materials (I know some), make a donation and recieve a write-off.
rachele, Feb 04 2001
  

       Shame on you control freaks! Don't you know that there is a country that already bans gum? Oh yes, it's called Singapore. Maybe you guys will want to start whacking people on the ass with a cane for their sins.
Vance, Feb 07 2001
  

       Excellent sealant for road surfaces and parking lots.
timvasquez, Apr 17 2001
  

       This will never happen in the US of A! We have certain inalienable constitutional rights, and you can have my gum when you pry it from my
Um...
Oops, wrong thread, huh?
Dog Ed, Apr 17 2001
  

       The problem is one of disposal. Since bubble gum is not supposed to be swallowed, people stick it places.   

       A few options: - make gum chewy but not sticky - make gum eventually disolve or wash away in water - make gum you can swallow - make gum that evaporates with exposure to air
evanwolf, Apr 17 2001
  

       you should realise that the number of gum-related deaths is much smaller in Singapore than in the US   

       if you ban gum only criminals will have it   

       the constitution only gives you gum to form part of a state militia   

       if you take away our gum how will we put nasty mank all over the shoes of burglars   

       even a child can easily make gum in its school workshop
chud, Nov 20 2001
  

       Can't stand gum. Problem is many people like the &@£$% stuff. I suspect they are the majority so unless someone proves that the stuff is dangerous or somehow against the geneva convention then it is likley to stay.
RobertKidney, Nov 24 2001
  

       It's not (usually) the gum *chewing* that's the problem . . . that's just a fidgety habit. (Granted, it is and should be banned in, say, the food-service industry.) But the way we allow disposal is weird. Suppose my fidgety habit, instead, were tearing tape into squares and stacking up little cubes of tape. Makes no more nor less sense than gumchewing. Yet if I stuck my little tape-cubes in elevators, under desks, on handrails in buses, all over the ground -- it wouldn't be a week before they locked me up! (And understandably.) Then why on earth should we tolerate it with gum? You have my heartfelt croissant.
eritain, Jul 21 2002
  

       Re: Bubble Gum Alley picture - looks a bit like a Jackson Pollock painting - no "Lavender Mist" -maybe "Bubblicious Spit"
thumbwax, Jul 21 2002
  

       barnzenen-   

       The gum tree exists!!! i remember I was at some theme park in pennsylvania as a child waiting on an hour long line for the log flume and there was this one spot of wood wall that was absolutely encrusted with gum!
blacksect, Aug 08 2002
  

       There's a gum tree at Australia's Wonderland (theme park).   

       I don't know about abolishing gum altogether, but harsh fines for spitting it out are definitely warranted. While we're at it, a crack down on people who leave cigarette butts lying around is really necessary. Smoking is disgusting, and I see people stamp out their cigs and walk off all the time. Grrrrrrr
madradish, Aug 09 2002
  

       At least they stamp 'em out. Mildly more annoying is when they just let them fall to the ground, ends still glowing, to roll down the street unflattened.
yamahito, Aug 09 2002
  

       ...Oh....my.....god. Getting rid of chewing gum? What is wrong with all of you people? You can't tell me that none of you ever chew it, or used to. Yes, it's rude to spit it out and put it places where people might put their hands, etc., but it is ridiculous to make a Gumless America. This is the most insane thing I've heard in quite some time.
eternal, Aug 24 2002
  

       //This is the most insane thing I've heard in quite some time.//
You have a talking computer?
Hal, I gotta spit this gum out -
I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Dave
thumbwax, Aug 24 2002
  

       But what will hold my teeth in?
RayfordSteele, Oct 12 2002
  

       / it's yucky, let's take a stand/ Set up a task force to collect it all, put it all in one pile and you'd be standin tall buddy. Yep, standin proud.   

       I personally keep a stick of chewing gum and a roll of friction tape in my glove box. Has saved me on more than one occasion when a fuel line or radiator hose decided to let go. Chew well for 10 minutes, apply and wrap tightly. Drove one car like that for 10K miles after the gum fix and not a single leak.
IVnick8or, Oct 13 2002
  

       As previously mentioned, the most obnoxious part of chewing gum isn'y the act of chewing, it's the vandalous means of disposal that is disgusting. Penalties aren't likely to discourage rebellious youth from their antisocial defiance of civility unless the penalties are severely Draconian. Finding a commercial use for recycled gum might be a better approach- maybe if the stuff has value it isn't likely to be discarded as carelessly.
whlanteigne, Oct 13 2002
  

       No I don't have any idea how it could be used for any commercial purpose- what's it made of, anyway? Do they still use natual chicle?
whlanteigne, Oct 13 2002
  


 

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