Smoking Hot Topic!

I have been walking into the building at my current job for over 6 months.  The path from the parking lot to the back door is through the small smoking shack that stands immediately outside the entrance.  I choose to walk through the smoking area since it is the shortest distance to my desk and therefore I can arrive about 2 minutes later than if I were to come in through the main entrance.

Smokers: Please understand I am not ranting about the act of smoking, that you ARE smoking, that it is disgusting b/c that is my opinion and if I wish to avoid it, I know that I should not walk through the only designated "safe" smoking area...so this is not to complain about that, the fact that you smoke.

The smoke shack what appears to be a covered bus shelter with benches and two large (imo) ash trays/trash containers.  TWO large repositories for the cigarette butts to be deposited.  Why is it then, as I walk up the small hill from my car to the platform of the smoke shack, do I traipse through tens of dozens of cigarette butts?  The biggest problem I have with this is that the damned ashtrays are literally NEXT TO the benches...so to litter the ground outside of the shelter is to either flick your butt out the back of the shelter or to ambulate to the edge of the platform and just toss it.  REALLY????

If you are a smoker -- why is there some weird, almost visceral need to not deposit your butts properly?  Cigarette butts are NOT fully biodegradable.  The paper and tobacco are, but the cellulose acetate (white fibers found inside filters) are not biodegradable, but are somewhat photo-degradable; however, cigarette filters are the "cigarette butts have been the single most recovered item since collections began"Moore SL, Gregorio D, Carreon M, Weisberg SB, Leecaster MK. Another source cites that it is estimated that 1.69 billion pounds (845,000 tons) of butts wind up as litter worldwide per yea -- that's a shit ton of butts.

So, please, adults who smoke near my office. PLEASE ensure the butts get placed into the covered, appropriate receptacle.  Your doing so will serve to lessen the burden on the world's resources.  Just one thing at a time, OK?  We'll tackle the horrible habit/addiction/whatever another day.

If you smoke and flick your butt out the window or onto the ground, share why that is...I am interested!