Today, Wednesday is recycling day for my block in the
Town of Oyster Bay. (New York) Normally, I leave my recycling out
the night before for early a.m. pickup Wednesday
morning. Lately, a woman in a mini van has been making
the rounds at roughly 3am early Wednesday morning and
picking through everyones recycling bin searching for
deposit bottles and cans before the town's recyling
trucks get there. The clanging and breaking glass has
awakened me four consecutive weeks. Any broken glass
incidentally, is left on the ground and will not be
taken by the Town recycling men when they arrive
later. Therefore, not only am I awakened at 3am, but I
must go outside and sweep the broken glass. This
morning, I decided to keep the recycling bins in my
yard until the recycling trucks were on my block. When
I saw them at the top of the block, I went outside and
placed them at the required curbside area. After
leaving them in their required place, I went back
inside. Roughly four or five minutes later, they were
in front of my house. Imagine my surprise when I left
the house this morning to find all my neighbors bins
emptied EXCEPT mine.
I called the Town and explained what happened.
Town: Sir, were the recyclables in bins?
Me: Yes
Town: I cannot understand why they weren't picked up
Me: Neither can I. That's why I'm making this call
Town: That's very unusual
Me: Can you pick them up?
Town: I'll have to send a supervisor there
Me: Fine. As long as someone comes to pick them up
One hour later a supervisor arrives. He gets out of
his pickup truck and looks in the recycling bin. He
confirms it is full. He gets in his pickup and calls
someone. He waits in his truck and one half hour later
the original recycling truck appears. They speak for
at least ten minutes to the supervisor. The supervisor
watches them empty my bin into the recycling truck.
The recycling truck leaves and the supervisor begins
writing. Five minutes later, he attaches a note to my
empty recycling bin, gets back in his pick up and
drives away. Later, I go out to take in my empty bin
and read the attached note. "Sir, the recycling
collectors informed me that you placed your recyling
bin out at the curb this morning. You are required to
leave recycling out the night prior". I called the
Town. I explained the reasoning for leaving the bins
out this morning, but more importantly explained that
the recycling bins were in place well before the
trucks ever arrived at my house. The town spokesman
replied, "Yes but they are supposed to be out the
night before and the driver said he saw you go out to
the curb when he was at the top of your block". I
said, "OK, by the night before you mean it must be out
before midnight"? He replied, "Yes sir, the night
before."
I said "OK, so if I threw out my empties after the Met
game at 12:30, I would be in violation?" This question
was followed by a minute of silence on his end. "Well
sir, what we are trying to avoid is residents putting
out their empties as the truck arrives and delaying
them." I said," I understand that. That is why I put
them out when they were almost a full block away."
"Sir, he replied, they must be out the night prior" I
said, "so they must be out before midnight?" "No sir,
it isn't necessary to leave by exactly midnight" I
said, "OK, so they CAN be left out after midnight
then"? "Yes sir, as long as they are out when the
truck arrives". I said "THEY WERE OUT BEFORE THE TRUCK ARRIVED".
He replied, "yes but only minutes before they arrived"
I then said, "OK so if I do this next week, they won't
pick them up"? He said "That's correct" But I
continued, "if I make a call complaing like I did
today, a supervisor will be required to come and
investigate"?
"Yes sir, that is the protocol". I ended the call,
"OK, then I'll speak to you next Wednesday, have a
nice day"
People ask me why I'm not in favor of union labor or
why I vote against referendums that are supported by
labor unions.
By the way, I am a New York City firefighter and a Union employee.
Town of Oyster Bay. (New York) Normally, I leave my recycling out
the night before for early a.m. pickup Wednesday
morning. Lately, a woman in a mini van has been making
the rounds at roughly 3am early Wednesday morning and
picking through everyones recycling bin searching for
deposit bottles and cans before the town's recyling
trucks get there. The clanging and breaking glass has
awakened me four consecutive weeks. Any broken glass
incidentally, is left on the ground and will not be
taken by the Town recycling men when they arrive
later. Therefore, not only am I awakened at 3am, but I
must go outside and sweep the broken glass. This
morning, I decided to keep the recycling bins in my
yard until the recycling trucks were on my block. When
I saw them at the top of the block, I went outside and
placed them at the required curbside area. After
leaving them in their required place, I went back
inside. Roughly four or five minutes later, they were
in front of my house. Imagine my surprise when I left
the house this morning to find all my neighbors bins
emptied EXCEPT mine.
I called the Town and explained what happened.
Town: Sir, were the recyclables in bins?
Me: Yes
Town: I cannot understand why they weren't picked up
Me: Neither can I. That's why I'm making this call
Town: That's very unusual
Me: Can you pick them up?
Town: I'll have to send a supervisor there
Me: Fine. As long as someone comes to pick them up
One hour later a supervisor arrives. He gets out of
his pickup truck and looks in the recycling bin. He
confirms it is full. He gets in his pickup and calls
someone. He waits in his truck and one half hour later
the original recycling truck appears. They speak for
at least ten minutes to the supervisor. The supervisor
watches them empty my bin into the recycling truck.
The recycling truck leaves and the supervisor begins
writing. Five minutes later, he attaches a note to my
empty recycling bin, gets back in his pick up and
drives away. Later, I go out to take in my empty bin
and read the attached note. "Sir, the recycling
collectors informed me that you placed your recyling
bin out at the curb this morning. You are required to
leave recycling out the night prior". I called the
Town. I explained the reasoning for leaving the bins
out this morning, but more importantly explained that
the recycling bins were in place well before the
trucks ever arrived at my house. The town spokesman
replied, "Yes but they are supposed to be out the
night before and the driver said he saw you go out to
the curb when he was at the top of your block". I
said, "OK, by the night before you mean it must be out
before midnight"? He replied, "Yes sir, the night
before."
I said "OK, so if I threw out my empties after the Met
game at 12:30, I would be in violation?" This question
was followed by a minute of silence on his end. "Well
sir, what we are trying to avoid is residents putting
out their empties as the truck arrives and delaying
them." I said," I understand that. That is why I put
them out when they were almost a full block away."
"Sir, he replied, they must be out the night prior" I
said, "so they must be out before midnight?" "No sir,
it isn't necessary to leave by exactly midnight" I
said, "OK, so they CAN be left out after midnight
then"? "Yes sir, as long as they are out when the
truck arrives". I said "THEY WERE OUT BEFORE THE TRUCK ARRIVED".
He replied, "yes but only minutes before they arrived"
I then said, "OK so if I do this next week, they won't
pick them up"? He said "That's correct" But I
continued, "if I make a call complaing like I did
today, a supervisor will be required to come and
investigate"?
"Yes sir, that is the protocol". I ended the call,
"OK, then I'll speak to you next Wednesday, have a
nice day"
People ask me why I'm not in favor of union labor or
why I vote against referendums that are supported by
labor unions.
By the way, I am a New York City firefighter and a Union employee.
)
