An Ode to F. W. Russell and Son on another stellar pickup

[jspazzer.livejournal.com]

Who can wake the neighbors
At 6:30 every week?
Ignore your recycling
Then throw your cans in the street?

The Garbage Man!
Yes, the Garbage Man Can!

The Garbage Man can
Cuz your taxes pay them
For the crappy job they do

(With apologies to The Simpsons)

Comments

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

i doubt they threw the cans in the street. it's been very windy out, and the wind is most likely to blame.

[diego001.livejournal.com]

The sanitation folks,
Are all unfriendly blokes,
Discourteous and trash-destroying.
They comment when you're overflowing,
And mock you when your arse is showing!

[spatch]

Clearly that last line deserves an explanation in story form.

[diego001.livejournal.com]

Oh, surely you can make something up.

I just adapted that from the verse sung by U2 on that Simpsons episode.

[dinah-luvyah.livejournal.com]

it's "the candy man", sung by, I believe , Samy Davis Jr., long before the Simpsons! :)

[diego001.livejournal.com]

So it's an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation. Yay!

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

What gets me is the honking. The trucks are inherently noisy, okay, but the honking? WTF? If there were alleys here, and they were doing it as they exited an alley, fine, I'd get that, but here? WHY? And why only in front of -my- bedroom window?

Russell

[bostonartist.livejournal.com]

The wind might be to blame in this case but I can tell you that this company does a rotten / sloppy job most of the time. I work from home and often watch when the garbage gets picked up on my street. If they drop trash on the street while doing their job that is where it stays. They throw barrels all over the place. They take no care in what they do. Their job is to pick up trash and keep the city cleaner but in the end, they are responsible for a portion of the cities trash / litter problem.

[fanw.livejournal.com]

Of course, the garbage men and the recycling men are different folks. Recycling guys come by later. So they're not so much ignoring as leaving it to the second shift!

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Not on my street. The recycling guys come by first.

Complain to 311

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

It is super fun to vent here. But ... my new policy is to call 311 with this kind of complaint. I don't know if it will work, but I *do* know that the stats from 311 are monitored and sent to various departments for review and action. If, say, lots and lots of people complained about the trash collection company, it might get some attention.

On a windy day, though, don't blame the garbage guys. Blame your lazy neighbors for not securing their trash properly (like in this case, lay a heavy bag full of newspapers and magazines on top of the lightweight cans and plastic bottles). I have had a word with my next door neighbors after they've scattered their debris around the street. They honestly hadn't considered what happens after they leave for work and have made an effort since then.

Re: Complain to 311

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I think the real problem is the design of the standard open-box recycle bins. On windy days there's nothing you can do to keep stuff from blowing out of them.

It might be time to switch to blue garbage cans with hinged lids.

Re: Complain to 311

[ron_newman]

My apartment building has big black recycle bins with lids and wheels.

Re: Complain to 311

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those are common for buildings over a certain size. But most small buildings and houses use the open boxes, so I was suggesting a smaller version of the wheely bins for them.

Re: Complain to 311

[hissilliness.livejournal.com]

How welcoming are they to verse-form complaints over at 311, I wonder?

Re: Complain to 311

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

I hear Tom Champion is particularly receptive to haiku...

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

Since one of their enmployees literally threw a piece of garbage at me a few years back, I have not been a fan. Yes I complained, no it went nowhere. Too gay-looking, was my take on it from what they said.

Russell being investigated by AG

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

If you feel strongly about them throwing trash at you (and I sure would) I'd call the AG's office to add that little tidbit to their file.

Re: Russell being investigated by AG

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

It was years ago, I have no names; I reported it to the city and called the company. I don't see it going anywhere, but one doesn't forget these things, either.

[ron_newman]

I don't understand -- how can a piece of garbage be gay-looking?

[glowroper.livejournal.com]

I looked too gay for them. So one of them threw garbage down the block at me. He missed, but that was more his bad aim than any good intentions.