Yesterday on the way to Burabay we stopped at a roadside stop to buy water. My companions went to the kiosk, and I stayed in the car. I sat and waited for them.

     A car with darkened rear windows stood in front of me. Apparently, they also were also waiting for someone.

     Suddenly a wet napkin flew out of its back window onto the sidewalk and the window has closed.

     I did not like it.

     What should I have done? How to tell these people that this is not the right way to behave; that we pollute our environment, our cities, our homeland by throwing garbage on the ground; that we are pushing ourselves farther and farther from the civilized world into a backward, uncultured third world by doing so?

     Go to this car and give them a lecture? To scold? Shout?

     No. I decided to do it differently. I approached this car, picked up a napkin from the sidewalk, looked into the car through the front window, saw that there were two female Kazaks sitting in the back seat and told them in Kazakh: “Кешіріңіз. Сыздың қағазынызды мен көтерейін. Бірақ келесі сəтте жерге тастамаңызшы » (Sorry, I’ll pick up your napkin, but next time, please do not throw the garbage on the ground).

     The women were embarrassed and babbled: “Жақсы. Кешіріңіз “(Of course, we are sorry).

     I carried them a piece of paper to the nearby bin, threw them there and sat down in my car.

     I do not know what they said to each other about what they thought about me, what conclusions were drawn, but it seems to me that this way of influencing others is much more effective than edifications and moralizing, and, especially, cries and insults.

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