Trash isn't something we really think about. We toss something in a bag, in a bin, then dump that bin in a bigger bin, then someone comes to take it away. However, it's who comes to take it away that we might never give a second thought. Garbagemen and women are incredibly undervalued in our society, usually working under intense pressure and timelines to essentially play mommy to whole cities. Anything you can do to help make their lives easier would be great, unlike the people talked about in the stories below.
Reddit user, u/bb2210, wanted to hear the inside-the-can stories when they asked:
You Know You Can't Just Throw Away Anything, Right?
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Be Selective. Don't put just any random thing in the trash. There are quite a few things that are either illegal to put in your trash or dangerous in some way. Dispose those items properly.
Propane cylinders in particular! I worked in a landfill for a few weeks as a temp job right after college, the D7 dozer ran over one that was partially full and while no one was injured, it blew out the back window of the bulldozer.
Burn, Baby, Burn
For the love of God do not try and hide kerosene heaters, flammable liquids or anything else that will burst into flames in your trash can. When the truck dumps the can and compacts it, it will catch fire or blow up. So then guess what, I'm now going to dump 10 tons of flaming garbage right in front of your house so I can save my $350K truck and not let it burn to the ground.
Think Of The People Behind The Job
We don't have the garbage trucks that have the mechanical arms that pick up the bins. We ride off the back of it, stop, dump the bins, repeat. Basically if two men can't pick it up, its not going in.
So. With that information. Stop dumping your damn furniture! You have a place you can call that can haul it away properly. Don't shout at me and my partner because your couch has been sitting on the curb for two weeks. If we can't pick it up, it can't go in the truck.
Also, put your needles in a sharps container!
Remember What Smokey Said?
Don't put used fireworks/charcoal/etc in your cans. Even if you think they're out. They can reignite in the packer of the truck and cause a load fire. We've had several a year the time I've been with my company.
That's Why We Have Bags, Right?
Please don't put loose trash in the can, super simple but so many people in my town do it . The wind will carry so much trash all over the lawn and then we get calls and complaints that we were "reckless" in disposing of their trash. Had too many co workers be wrote up for this when the residents were the ones just letting loose trash fly about
We. See. Everything.
Stop telling us we missed your bin when you forgot and put it out late.
We have cameras on the trucks now. We can see straight through your lies.
You Better Believe They'll Just Leave It
When I was a garbagewoman I used to HATE people who build as much as they can on top of the bin. The funny part is the company I worked for decided it was an OHS [occupational health and safety] problem, so we just put a sticker on the front of the bin & left it.
Public Trash Bins Are Not Your Personal Bins
I worked for a parks department for a time, and I was the one to empty the garbage cans in all of the parks in the city. (it's not very big.)
Putting things like;
- whole vacuum cleaners
- drug stashes
- garbage bag full of house hold garbage
- dead things
- broken glass
- bulk frozen things
- unfinished dairy based liquids
aren't cool.
The Broken Glass Advice Is Pretty Good
I've been out of the game for a few years, but I'll name two that really pissed me off; if you can afford to not use dollar store garbage bags, please do so. They tear super easy to and make a goddamn mess that I then needed to clean up. And don't then fill the bloody things with heavy cat litter.
Second; broken glass goes in a taped up box, not the garbage bag. Noone likes getting stabbed by random glass hidden in a garage bag.
Use Those Bins Correctly
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Not a garbageman but worked in a safety role for a waste collection company -- Please use your bins correctly.
If general waste goes into a cardboard collections bin, for example, the whole lot of cardboard waste has to go to general disposal instead of recycling.
Worst case scenario, if you're disposing of solvents, oil etc. instead of doing the right thing and taking them to the local dump (or arranging a specific pickup of hazardous goods), you could cause a fire.
And it should go without saying but.. please don't dispose of explosive materials in general waste!?
ETA something "relevant to the post"
Most common 'bastard client' complaints I've heard are:
- Domestic bins are too far away from the curb and have to be moved into position (wastes time, causes injury depending on how heavy bins are/how many they have to move on any given day)
- Domestic bins are too full (Can end up throwing trash around the place) or bags are placed outside of the bin (if you have a good guy driver, he'll pick them up too. He doesn't have to.)
- Commercial dumpsters have to be dragged uphill/across sh-tty ground/over drains to get to the pickup position (wastes time and causes injury again. Lot of injury incidents arise from drivers being the ones to have to drag the dumpsters out so they can pick them up)
- Commercial dumpsters are overfilled. (as above, but to the max.)
So mainly.. Pull your bins to the curb (if they're domestic) or to an easily accessible area (if they're commercial). You only have to pull your bins once. If everyone's bins need moving, that driver's moving hundreds of bins per day.
Throwing Bags At Them Isn't Cool, Bro
For the love of god, don't leave your bags out of the can, if you have too much garbage filled with spoiled food, then you aren't using your trashcans every week. Animals will get to them, maggots will begin to show up in them from all the rotting food because bugs love the smell. And don't and I mean don't ever toss your bags at us if you miss the day we come by to pick up your literal sh-t...
Even More Explosions?
Aerosol and pressurized cans (like febreeze, sunscreen, etc)need to be fully emptied before disposing of, or better yet taken to an HHW drop off. When the trash gets compacted it can start a fire and/or explode.
This Sounds Like A Literal Nightmare
Packing peanuts are the worst. Put them in a bag and TIE IT. Don't leave them in an open box.
Quit throwing grocery bags in the recycle.
Seems Like There's Lots Of Rules For Furniture
In our region, you can't just throw a couch out on a curb and expect it to be picked up. We have a Large Item Pickup number you need to call a week before, for pickup.
If you've thrown a couch out on the curb and it's still there two weeks later check with your city RE: large item pickup.
*Note that all places don't have this, but yours might.
Give Bins The Proper Space
As a driver of bin lorrys in Scotland one thing that would make life at easier, just park your cars bloody properly. Especially due to the size of trucks we have (8x4 axle) most people don't use their driveways/can't park properly and resulting in me haveing to pass a few inches between cars on each side of the road.
Break The Rules? They'll Make You Pay A Fine.
Based on a warning that could have been a fine I got while my mother in law lived with me, use bags.
[Don't] pour cat litter directly in the bin.
As a cat owner, [I] cringe at this. How could you scoop the litter directly into a bin? Always use a bag
Where Do People Think All That Liquid Goes?
Not a garbage man, but a maintenance worker who takes out a lot of garbage.
Please stop putting liquids in the trash at stores or gas stations or anywhere someone would have to physically pull out the trash bag. Would you throw away a 3/4 full extra large soda at your own house? They make the bags so heavy and it will all come out of the bottom and will get everywhere, then we have to mop or clean with a hose. Every time.
If you don't want your drink, empty the liquids in a sink, gutter, or in some soil (away from plants) and only throw the container away in the bin.
Need Some Help? Here's A Few, Rapid Fire!
Don't park in no parking zones or right next to tight alleyway entrances/exits.
Please put dirty diapers in garbage bags instead of leaving them loose in the can.
We can't always collect mattresses, long pipes, pallets, etc. Please understand that we don't make those decisions. Some are made by our bosses, others by the laws of physics.
PUT YOUR F-CKING NEEDLES IN A GODDAMN SHARPS DISPOSAL CONTAINER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some Good Advice For Life, In General:
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Literally just don't be an a--. You know not to put sand or concrete or tiles, anything like that, into your can. Like, if it's something you yourself struggle to pick up/move don't f-cking put it in your can for someone to lift that plus every bit of your trash from the past week. I worked as a garbage man for a few years and I had to be put on workers comp for herniating 3 discs cause someone filled their can with sheetrock and tile and covered it with loose paper, like, if you're going to do it let me see it so I can prep myself to pick it up. You putting too much weight into your can has the chance to change someone's life drastically forever.
I do know I could have prevented it by just not taking the can but I had already lifted it into the air when I realized and it was to late. We didn't have hydraulic lifts so I had to do it all by hand, 2-3k cans a day is rough when ya pick em all up.
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.