Last week, the City of Alpena issued a news release reminding residents to obey the city’s garbage ordinance, which requires trash to be stored in containers with tight-fitting lids and put curbside no sooner than the night before scheduled pickup.

Any excess trash must be covered “to prevent wind, birds or other animals from scattering it,” the city said in a news release. Furniture can only be set out the day of the scheduled pick-up.

The city sent the release after discovering “several residents are not in compliance,” the news release said. “Neighbors should not be responsible for picking up scattered garbage. Scattered garbage is considered littering.”

Violation of the ordinance can result in a citation, but we think the fear of a ticket shouldn’t be the driving force in making us good neighbors. It should be the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.

You wouldn’t want to be forced to pick up your neighbor’s garbage blown across your lawn, nor would you want to deal with some unwanted critter who finds its way onto your lawn, attracted by the smell of your neighbor’s uncovered trash.

No, you wouldn’t want to deal with that.

So don’t make your neighbors deal with it.

Be a good neighbor and cover your trash.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)