Do you mind other people digging through your trash? I mean assuming that they are just looking for things they can use or sell, not trying to stalk you or anything like that.
I ask because we have a group of people who regularly go through our dumpsters, and a lot of my neighbors are really upset about it. I’m not sure what the big deal is because they always leave the area as clean (or cleaner) then they found it. I guess they could steal s.s. or account numbers, but shouldn’t you be shredding stuff like that anyways? (I do it at my dad’s office cuz he has one of those shredders that turns paper into dust, its neat-o)
It just seems kind of mean to begrudge people our garbage. Do you agree? Disagree?
And if you saw something good in the trash would you take it? I’ve never actually taken things out of a dumpster, but I have found some nearly new lawn furniture and storage containers on the curb.
I don’t care if someone roots through my trash (the important stuff is shredded). I think the people are going to be disappointed though, because all my trash is TRASH. For the most part, anything that can still be of use goes to Goodwill or Salvation Army.
A coworker of mine drove by someone’s house once and saw a big bird cage out by the garbage cans. The pet bird (quite alive) was still in the cage.
I’m amazed at the things people throw away. It always makes me sad when I see books in the trash…especially since we’re constantly having book drives to send to our troops downrange. Unfortunately, they always seem to have just way too much crap on them to salvage.
Last week, I saw an almost new looking sectional couch in front of one of the apartment buildings. Since there was a moving truck nearby, I figured that they were just trying to make room for it in the truck. Well, I come out the next morning (after a night of heavy rain) and see the now ruined couch still out front. After nosing around, I found out who the couch belonged to, and they said that there was nothing wrong with the couch, they had just bought a new one and couldn’t ship both. What kind of person does this?! There are plenty of poor families (including mine!) who could have used that couch and would have been happy to haul it away.
I once pulled an iron candleabra outof the dumpster in back of my building. Diving wasn’t really a problem, since it was right on top. And no, I have no pride.
Actually, my dad is a social worker who usually has at least one or two clients who collect bottles on the side of the road/go through trash for cans as their main source of income. More power to them. These people have been through enough hell, they can have my cans. In fact, I collect them and leave them in a shopping bag next to the dumpster, to make retrieval easier. I hope the people who need them end up getting them.
I knew a kid in high school who would go to the Burton Snowboards factory, pull the demo/defective boards out of the trash, touch them up, and sell them to the local Replay sports, a second hand sporting goods store. THAT always hit me as immoral.
It depends on whether the rhino lunch box [those big 30 cubic foot ones] are on the street or not. Trash IS public property but not if its still on someones’ property.
I look around in them some times. One time I found a guys wallet which I gave back to him. But I also find a lot of stuff not in the cans., Like a 125 pc toolset laying right in the middle of the street.
Here in San Francisco, we have “large item” days that are announced - rotating through different areas. This is supposed to prevent people throwing mattresses on the street and such. It works reasonably well, and there are always people in the area the night before… and there have been some lovely pieces that I am sure were of value to someone. I once put out a large “comfy” chair, and I hope that someone else did take it - there was nothing wrong, except it didn’t fit in my place any more. I have taken home shelving etc. myself
In our building there is a tradition that people can leave smaller items they no longer want on the table in the lobby. If someone else doesn’t take them in a day or so, the manager throws things away - but I have been pleased to repossess a wonderful garment bag, books, albums and even some clothing. Someone dropped off a perfectly good designer name jacket, apparently because they don’t know how to replace missing buttons
I’m with the Chief - use it up if you can. I always ask family and friend when I am getting rid of something - who knows what they might need? Goodwill gets a lot of my stuff as well…
I have no trouble at all with people hunting around in there, I view it as Property Karma.
When I was in college my place was decorated in elegant Refuse Noir. Huge 70’s era wood and wicker console television I found on a curb (color tended twards the red and green, but the price was right). A sofa “Borrowed” from my late landlady (hey, she wasn’t going to be using it) electrical cable spool coffee table (I noticed on “That 70’s Show” that I wasn’t the first to think of that one).
I have nothing against people going through my trash, although if I threw it away, it is probably truly useless. The way I figure it is, once you have placed it in a refuge receptacle, all property rights have been renounced, and it has joined the public domain. My ex-girlfriend and I once rescued a perfectly good couch from a dumpster. Perfectly good except for one broken leg, which only required some duct tape and wood glue. And of course, some cleaning. It was in a dumpster, after all. As far as I know, she still has it.
Inky, I like the term property kharma. I, too, had a number of items that were gleaned from curbs. There was this fantastic brass coat rack, but when I came to get it after work, someone had snagged it.
I can’t for the life of me throw out a book. My clothes usually end up as rags, although I do try and bring stuff to the Salvation Army/Goodwill type places once a year or so. (those clothes wouldn’t be the raggedy ones, but things that no longer fit)
Inky, I like the term property kharma. I, too, had a number of items that were gleaned from curbs. There was this fantastic brass coat rack, but when I came to get it after work, someone had snagged it.
I can’t for the life of me throw out a book. My clothes usually end up as rags, although I do try and bring stuff to the Salvation Army/Goodwill type places once a year or so. (those clothes wouldn’t be the raggedy ones, but things that no longer fit)
Ahem My name is purplebear. I, uh, really like dumpsters and such. I have found some wonderful things there. Uh, that’s all I had to say for now. Thank you for listening to me.
<shuffling off quickly to the left, purplebear finds a seat in the back with the other dumpster dopers>