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Garbage Rant...
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 4:39 pm
by Tom
This is the second time this month the garbage collectors left my house like this. Both times I called and they said they tell "dispatch" to send someone to clean it up, and both times I ended up cleaning it up myself at the end of the day. I'm I just becoming a grumpy old man or is this just wrong... (or both
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- garbage.jpg (453.34 KiB) Viewed 95 times
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 5:05 pm
by marin
That sucks!
For me about 10% of the time they forget to pickup my cans. I have a Friday pickup, so if I call midday on Friday they say there is no action they can take because the workers could pick them up anytime before 6pm. When they don't get picked up by 6pm, then I can't call because they are closed until Monday morning. So I'm suck with full cans until then.
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 5:30 pm
by blueline
That's totally unacceptable. Horrible, actually.
Fortunately, we have excellent service. It's all private where I live - no city or gov involvement. There are at least three diff companies in my area alone, so I guess they can't afford to lose biz due to crappy service.
And no, you are not being grumpy!!
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2026 9:06 pm
by whalenlg
Tom wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2026 4:39 pm
This is the second time this month the garbage collectors left my house like this. Both times I called and they said they tell "dispatch" to send someone to clean it up, and both times I ended up cleaning it up myself at the end of the day. I'm I just becoming a grumpy old man or is this just wrong... (or both
)...
garbage.jpg
Seems like a typical NextDoor post, Tom!
My peeve is that the same guys ignore requests for oil change jugs/bags or they ran out that day.....
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:39 am
by dr bob
We have a city-contracted service in our little private (~~250 homes) community. This kind of stuff is enough of an issue that I've been collecting and arranging neighbor cans together in one spot just below our culdesac to make it easier for them to pick up three homes' worth at once. It took just a little discussion to convince them to back into our street for all of them, vs. making a series of K-W twists and turns to try and reach them in front of individual homes.
I also bribe them with water and Subway gift cards if I happen to be out when they are picking things up. Since starting the simple-benefits program for the drivers, I have not needed to do any more to keep the street clean for myself and the immediate neighbors. We try and take care of the folks that take care of us.
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:45 am
by blueline
dr bob wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2026 10:39 am
We have a city-contracted service in our little private (~~250 homes) community. This kind of stuff is enough of an issue that I've been collecting and arranging neighbor cans together in one spot just below our culdesac to make it easier for them to pick up three homes' worth at once. It took just a little discussion to convince them to back into our street for all of them, vs. making a series of K-W twists and turns to try and reach them in front of individual homes.
I also bribe them with water and Subway gift cards if I happen to be out when they are picking things up. Since starting the simple-benefits program for the drivers, I have not needed to do any more to keep the street clean for myself and the immediate neighbors. We try and take care of the folks that take care of us.
Our regular driver as well as his current crew of two helpers each get a decent gift card every Christmas from us. They smartly leave a "thank you" card a few weeks before Christmas each year for all their customers. I'm pretty sure they get a good haul from the many generous neighbors here!
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 11:55 am
by PSU_Crash
100% unacceptable behavior!
Things like this are the reason I bring my trash to the dump every Saturday morning. Plus, it's free in my county
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 12:01 pm
by ROB III
@Tom
That is just wrong, and you are not a grumpy guy (you couldn't be by dint of making this forum) and you aren't old either, you are too busy to be old. If the collection service is city run or otherwise a gov't directed situation, go above dispatch as they have no incentive. It may be a case of the squeaky wheel getting the attention it deserves.
Developing a more personal connection with the collectors doesn't hurt either, as dr bob pointed out. You shouldn't have to do that but in an area with no competition, incentive for full service seems to wane.
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2026 6:35 pm
by zooklm1
Tom wrote: Thu Jun 18, 2026 4:39 pm
This is the second time this month the garbage collectors left my house like this. Both times I called and they said they tell "dispatch" to send someone to clean it up, and both times I ended up cleaning it up myself at the end of the day. I'm I just becoming a grumpy old man or is this just wrong... (or both
)...
Hey, get off my lawn!
JK
garbage.jpg
Re: Garbage Rant...
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2026 9:12 am
by dr bob
In my personal experience, the first phone call may or may not be effective. The second response is 'written', with either an entry into the service's website complaint form or an e-mail to the service. I include the events history in the e-mails. It seems like written comments and complaints force a response of some kind.
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"dear dr bob. We are so sorry you experienced the bedbugs during your recent stay at our hotel. It's the first time it's ever happened. We will immediately start a cleanup program, and assure you it will never happen again. Signed: hotel manager" Inadvertently attached to the note was a "send this guy the bedbug letter" sticky.