This is new

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I saw in Teele Square in the old Rainbow Carpet storefront "Coming Soon" and a Somerville Police officer's badge painted in the window.

So I presume we're getting a police depot. Maybe they'll finally get that jerk who keeps picking through the garbage on my block.

Comments

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Unless you've become an old Chinese man...

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

That's what your momma said.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

hah! i know who you're talking about. he lives across the street from me.

[ron_newman]

Probably just a scavenger looking for returnable deposit bottles and cans. I seem them on my street all the time. They're harmless.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I'm joking, really, I'm not going to call the cops on the guy, but he is annoying, especially since he gets up to his antics in the VERY early morning and he's not quiet about it; I can hear him from my room and I'm well back from the street. He doesn't just root through the recycling, he also rips open every trash bag on the block. He doesn't dump the contents, but it's a very special smell, every trash day.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

...okay, well, that is 'special,' yes.

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

I don't have an issue with people going through garbage if they don't make a mess. But it sounds like you've got a legitimate disturbing the peace complaint. If someone's making enough noise at O-dark-thirty to wake you up, call the police.

[righteousness-1.livejournal.com]

Does that include the renters living 6 feet from my bedroom whooping it up at 4am last night? Fuckers.

[silveraeroguy.livejournal.com]

x2

[arrowintwolakes.livejournal.com]

If he's anything like the guys(s?) that rummage through the trash on my street, having the returns out, seperated, and in plain sight won't stop the rummagin'.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA HA HA

oh my sides

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

While I can see how that could be annoying, isn't garbage technically abandoned property once it's out? This being what allows people to scavenge pretty much anything from the trash, and the reason why you should take extra care to properly dispose of sensitive and private documents rather than just tossing them out, etc.?

Of course, if your garbage goes onto a closed lot or some form of private property, the rules may be different.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

It's incredibly annoying when people go banging through your trash at sleep-thirty in the morning and then leave it scattered all over the sidewalk for you to pick up.

By "you" here I mean "me" or rather Mr. Empress because I am lazy.

[purpless77.livejournal.com]

Out of my over thirty years here, not once have I or anybody else I know been woken up by one of these people. You can rarely hear a few glass bottles bumping together or a ruffling bag, which would never be loud enough to complain about. And they're always pretty clean about it. Most of these people are poor. If you find it so annoying then move to an area with less poverty and hope and pray to whomever you pray to that you never find yourself in a situation where you should have to rummage through trash.
Try thinking about someone else and have some respect, compassion and understanding for others, it will do you some good.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

First point: so your experience invalidates mine? Nice assumption there, but it doesn't really work.

Second point: I like how you assume I'm ignorant and heartless; if you'd bothered to read the comment thread instead of leaping on the opportunity to tell everyone how awesome you are, you might have noticed that I was making a joke.

You don't know me or the first thing about my personal history. If you've been living here the last thirty years, then I've lived in places one hell of a lot worse, so, quite frankly, you can help yourself to a nice big steaming mug of STFU.

I know these people are poor. So what? That excuses a lack of manners? I'm not saying the guy can't have my redeemables, what few of them there are. I've never called the cops on the guy, not least because as someone properly pointed it out, I've abandoned any rights to the property. It'd be a waste of his time, my time, and the time of the Somerville Police.

I just want him to not be so loud when he does it, and not rip open the garbage sacks. If I'm on the streets at 3am, I am quiet about it. PERIOD. And that's got nothing to do with how much money I have with, and everything to do with respect for the neighbors.

One more thing: poor people deserve neither pity nor scorn. They are nothing more or less than people. Maybe you should consider just how little you actually know about them, the next time you jump down somebody's throat.

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

I moved here recently from Lowell, where I was woken regularly by sirens, and people yelling on the street. I wouldn't say I am a light sleeper, but on trash day, I experience the same thing as you, even though we do leave our bottles and things out for people to take, just to be considerate. Our bedroom is at the rear of the house, and it's still audible, and I agree, annoying. It goes on from 11pm all the way through to 3-4am at times.

I don't think it's rude or disrespectful to wish that people would be more considerate, it goes along the same lines of people with oversensitive car alarms or nervous dogs. If you're living in a high density area, think of others when making noise at sleepy-o clock in the morning :)

[dylanesque29.livejournal.com]

I've been woken some Tuesday mornings, occasionally.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

I get woken about every other Tuesday morning. I don't mind - and I'm glad that someone who needs the money is going to return my bottles/cans - but I can still hear them quite clearly, even though my bedroom does not face the road.

Maybe it's time to get your ears checked.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

let me guess, you sleep in a room with an air-conditioner while the others sleep with their windows open? I hear the recyclable-rustlers every week.

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

The thing that gets my goat is when can collectors take other recyclables that I've put in the bin and drop them in my trash barrel so they can get at the cans. I'm glad these people can capitalize on my empties, but come on, work with me!

And then there's the old guy (I think he's lived on my street for over 70 years) who used to walk right up onto my back porch to take my empties before I set them out on the sidewalk. Friendly enough, but not who I want to see when I'm standing in my kitchen in my underwear.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

It sounds like it might be time to repeal the bottle bill. Since we have curbside recycling, the deposits aren't needed, and in this case lead to more of a hassle for people trying to recycle everything they can.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

Back to your original point -- I saw the "Coming Soon" signs too, and they say "Somerville West" on them, so yes, it seems like a police mini station which can't really be a bad thing can it?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Mostly I view it as good because we have an occupant of storefront space who isn't a freakin' telemarketer.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

Yep, police station:

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=30&TM=64018.58