Wuthering Hyders

To Our "Sanitation Worker"...

( Aren't you pleased I used the P.C. term for your job? ) Let me start by saying that I truly appreciate the work you do. If it weren't for you, I might have to put our trash in my car and drive it to the dump myself and I'm far too busy for that. Besides, just the thought of piling bags full of dirty diapers, rotting food, and other miscellaneous debris into my car gives me the willies. ( What if they leaked?! ) You are a good man to take my trash away.

I want to apologize for our neighbors. Like you, I don't understand why it is so difficult for them to put the trash INSIDE the provided dumpster. I believe this annoys me a bit more than it does you since the afore mentioned device is practically in my front yard. ( If I may be so bold as to claim the eight square feet of grass and dog poo in front of our home as a yard. ) I really feel for you when you have to get out of your truck and move the garbage surrounding the dumpster just so you can reach it with your truck to empty it. Then, after emptying it, you have to get out of your truck a SECOND time to collect the trash you just had to move and load up the dumpster to empty it yet again. This must really get old after awhile. It might not be so bad if what my neighbors so ungraciously piled around the dumpster were only empty cardboard boxes that would take up too much space inside the dumpster. ( Alas, if only they were smart enough to figure out how to collapse the boxes so they were flat! ) But no! They pile bags upon bags of the vilest filth imaginable out there. Sometimes, they actually manage to get the bag tied shut, but not usually. While the sparrows and crows seem to enjoy the veritable buffet of leftover takeout and stale tidbits of dinners, you and I do not. However, I envy the fact that you get to drive away from here and not think about it for another 48 hours. I, on the other hand, have to live here with the mess left behind. I realize it is largely the fault of my neighbors, but I can't help but feel that you are also a bit responsible. Perhaps, it is more the fault of those higher above you or the management of our complex. They won't allow you to come daily. Thus, the trash piles up. Especially on the weekends. ( And forget about using the dumpster if someone is moving in or out that weekend! ) I think the weekend situation could be helped a bit, though. Here's my idea...

You currently make you rounds here on Friday morning in the pre-dawn hours between 4am and 5:45am. You will not return until Monday afternoon. Whose idea was this? I'm guessing it was not yours since you know how quickly our dumpster fills and you hate getting out of your truck to actually touch the trash. Maybe you could suggest a change to whomever is in charge of these things. Perhaps you could come in the late afternoon on Friday and early on Monday? As much as I appreciate being awakened to the gentle sound of your truck emptying our garbage before the sun rises on Fridays, I think a change would do us both some good. If you require my assistance to convince whomever is in charge, I would happily provide it. There may be a positive solution to this if we all work together. As for my ingrate neighbors... Well, I believe karma will come back around eventually. Perhaps their lawns will one day be filled with the various forbidden furniture they tossed into the dumpster.

Again, I thank you for the work you do. You provide an invaluable service to all of us. It's too bad not everyone around here acknowlegdges that. Hang in there, mate! At least the snow is gone!