Oh, what a fickle, bitter deity is Fate! She toys with you and makes promises of wonders and glories only to snatch them away as you rejoice in them!
My heart and dreams are shattered.
Yesterday, I penned a little ballad expressing my delight that the happiest day of the week had arrived, the day when those heroic warriors of waste removal come to take away the trash. What did I find when I came home last night? One of my two cans had not been emptied and in fact, had a note attached telling me that it was broken and must be discarded!
Oh cruel Fate! Oh rapture changed to woe! In an instant my life lost all savor and pleasure and I was cast into the pit of despair!
Here in San Diego we use trucks like these to get rid of our trash.
After years of use, one of my cans has finally cracked. It's not leaking, but it is a bit beaten up. Yesterday I came home to find the trash still in it and a note attached telling me to get rid of the can.
How am I supposed to get rid of it? Why didn't they just grab the thing, lift it over the truck bed and then let go and take the can and the trash with them? Now I'm going to have to drive to the dump with this can the only item in my pickup and pay $21 just to kick the thing off the back of the truck and drive away. Meanwhile, the trash that was in the can is turning into pungent compost in the summer heat.
Argh.
That is one cool garbage truck. Just how automated is that arm, anyway? Does it detect the can itself and go for it on its own, or does the operator have a joystick to guide it?
ReplyDeleteAs for getting rid of your old can, I'd rip it to pieces starting on the crack, and then take a pair of tinsnips or heavy scissors to cut it into chunks. Then I'd throw the pieces into the replacement that you get for it, and wait for pickup.
Hi, Tim!
ReplyDeleteI think the truck's arm is manually operated. The claws on the arm are pretty wide when fully open and the driver just has to get it close enough to scoop up the can, then the claw closes and dumps the can into the truck.
I can tear the thing to pieces like you said, it just seems like a total hassle when they could just take the whole can and the garbage as well. The problem for me is the rotting garbage inside.
It seems quiet ironic that the trashman won't take the trash.
ReplyDeleteI've just spent the month dividing up the trash of the garage cleanup.
Our trash company provides the can, you have choice of 3 sizes. Plus they provide another large can for mixed recycling.
It's not a good week if you don't get the
trash out on time. They used to get at our house at 7am, the first pickup. We've been demoted to 7:30. It's nice to not have to leap out of the shower and run outside dripping wet when you remember that the trash isn't out yet.