Someone woke up with his panties in a wad. His cans must have been blown across the street and he had to goose step it over there in his robe to retrieve them.
All I know is that I don't want to be the poor bastard who has to go around and pick up other people's trash. It ain't a pretty job, but it is a necessary one and I don't care how long it takes to pick it up, just so long as it gets picked up.
ttp, lighten up and grab a coffee, for the love of Mike.
I kind of agree with TPP. The guys seem lazy, have no concern for traffic, don't give a damn about getting all of the garbage in the truck (it's a huge hopper, you'd think it wouldn't be that hard to miss, but they do. And they'll leave it on the ground. And it reeks in the summer!), and couldn't care less about getting your garbage cans back anywhere near your house. I feel lucky they make the effort to even throw the cans in the general direction of my home.
Sure, picking up trash isn't a glamorous job. But no one chose that career path for them, and it's not like it's a minimum wage job. They are very well paid, from what I understand. It's a union gig, right? (Not implying anything anti-union, it's just that I'm led to believe a union job pays much better than non union). Anyway, we're expected to leave our bins on the curb, upright, in front of our house. It's not an unreasonable expectation for them to be returned to at least the curb in front of the house--upright, upside down, I don't care; not just tossed toward the edge of the road near our houses. Some of us go to work before the Sanitation Engineers come by, and get home well after they leave. That means our trashcans may have been blowing about in the middle of the road or accross the street for almost 8 hours. I bet it looks great that the neighborhood has rogue trashcans about during the day.
For the most part, I have no problem with them. I try to avoid using cans to avoid chasing them down, so most of my garbage is bagged. They pick 'em up, I'm happy. I'm sort of jaded to the garbage man half-assing his way through the day. I probably would after a while, too. Hell, I'm not a garbage man, and I dog it at work. That's the American Way (TM). But I'm not ready to dismiss the OP as having his panties in a twist. Maybe he doesn't even wear panties. Maybe he goes commando. Who knows? Don't assume, Thursday.
Now, let's just sit back and regroup here for a second - CAPS have always been associated with the equivalent of an internet shout - BOLD CAPS are the beginning of a rant - and ONE INCH, BOLD RED CAPS (which I will remove after my point is made) scream Twisted Panties. When they are used in each and every post, it means his nads are in the mix, too. We can all make our points without jumping out in big-ass red letters. (Hell, we'd rip granma a new one if she filled her posts like that.)
And now for my reply to what started out as a good topic. No, being a garbage man is certainly not a glamorous job. Yes, they certainly could do a better job of getting the cans at least back into my driveway. Should they use the bathrooms before they leave the house or the shop so they don't have to pee in my neighbor's yard? Abso-freakin-lutely. Should they pay a little more attention to the traffic around them? Yes, they certainly should pay more attention when they have to step out into traffic, because I almost nailed one of them last year. Was he wearing an orange vest or sweatshirt? NO. Was he paying the slightest bit of attention to any traffic coming or going on Pittston Avenue? No. But he had the brass bells to curse me out and flip me the finger as he crossed in front of me. Nice union ettiquette and representative of the City of Scranton.
So in a nutshell, I am no advocate for the behavior of the garbage men. I'm old enough to remember when they'd send the old buzzards up ahead of the truck to bring the garbage around to the front of the house and then put the emptied trash cans back where the found them. Those guys are long dead - and their work ethic died along with them.
(I just had a flashback to Chevy Chase in "Christmas Vacation" after he received his letter from the Jelly of the Month Club.) "...where's the Tylenol?"
-- Edited by His Girl Thursday at 21:40, 2007-02-04
-- Edited by His Girl Thursday at 21:44, 2007-02-04
It's a tough, crappy job that I wouldn't want to do.
As long as they complete their rounds each day I don't care if it takes them 5 hours and then they go home. That said, I don't want them bailing each day 5 hours but putting in for overtime for every minute they worst past eight hours.
My only complaint is garbage can placement. Just once I'd like to find my cans on my sidewalk, not lying in the street blowing around becuase they were tossed onto their sides. I'll bet when they pick up the trash at their house the can gets put back the right way.
You know how a chashier isn't allowed to check out their own order, or a bank teller isn't allowed to cash their own check? Do you think garbage men are allowed to pick up their own trash?
This "How Come I Never Thought Of That Before?" moment brought to you by your ol' buddy, Paul.
I can understand the discontent about the garbagemen, but I have to confess that they do a decent job on my street. My cans usually land somewhere near the front of my house and they seem good about taking whatever trash I put out there (but now if only I can get Elmo to sit on my curb on Wednesday mornings...).
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Free Speech does't require a multi-paragrah disclaimer Mr. Pilchesky.
sometimes more depending on the weather! (maybe they know your following them so they are throwing your cans a bit harder than usual) I know that's what I WOULD do ... but that's just me!
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This is just one person's opinion -- mine! ~~PD where True Freedom of Speech Rings ... DD ... where freedom of speech only applies if you agree with King Joe Pilchesky ... I prefer true Freedom of Speech!
