I've been a garbage truck driver for about a year and a half now and I can tell you that, for all the hard work we drivers and our throwers put in, the lack of customer appreciation sucks. It doesn't matter the weather, we're out there. If it's 100℉ with high humidity or -25℉ in a blizzard, or anywhere in between, it doesn't matter, we're out collecting garbage and a lot of you people don't appreciate it.
Sure, we have some customers who are more than happy to leave us cold water or sodas on hot days, and a few who give us tips at holiday time but a simple thank you would be awesome occasionally. Especially given what we have to collect from the general public. I have five different routes a week and it doesn't matter what kind of neighborhood the route is in, way too many of you people are just plain gross.
Don't get me wrong, I like my job. The pay is good and we get benefits. My thrower is a great guy and we have a lot of fun out on route. I get out and help him, too. He'll put a cart on the tipper and I'll bag out another to speed things up a bit. Or I'll dump the smaller cans and pick up extra bags and cardboard. But the crap, sometimes literally, that we come in contact with would make some people's skin crawl.
We don't understand why it's so difficult for some people to bag their trash. Like, put it in actual garbage bags. Why is it necessary to just dump your household garbage directly into your collection cart? Do you not use bags inside the house? I can't imagine what your kitchen garbage pail looks like since you don't use bags. Not only is it disgusting to have to dump that but if the cart is broken and won't fit on the tipper we have to scoop the garbage into the truck hopper by hand until the cart is light enough to actually lift and dump.
Then there are the people who do bag their garbage but don't tie the bags and then toss them in the cart upside down. Why? Tie the bags, people. It's easier for us to dump it or bag it out if we need to, and it keeps your cart clean. Dirty carts end up with bugs in them in the summertime and sticky the rest of the time. Then loose crap gets stuck to the bottom of the cart and you complain because we didn't completely empty the cart. We're not going to clean your cart for you, that's your job.
There are also the people who toss dog crap straight from their yard into the carts, or dump used cat litter in there. I guess you don't realize that the tipper tosses the trash with force and that stuff flies through the air. We are human beings and don't like getting hit with dog shit and dirty cat litter. Would you? I doubt it. We've also found dead animals loose in the carts, and have also had people pee and crap in their carts. That is just plain disgusting on every level.
On top of all of that, a great many of our customers couldn't care less about our health and safety. On hot or rainy days we do our best to make our pickups as quickly as possible but sometimes we need a break to cool off or wait for a storm to pass. On snowy or icy days there are going to be stops we can't make because customers live on a road that hasn't been plowed or treated and is all ice, or they live on a downhill cul-de-sac where I need to back up. I'm not backing a 50K pound truck downhill on ice or snow. It's dangerous and could cause us to get hurt or damage your property if the truck slides.
Yet you call the office because you got missed that day. No amount of explaining will appease you because "I pay for a service". Yes, you do, but, again, we are human beings and we deserve a little respect. If we had to bypass you this week we'll be back around in a day or two when the roads are clear. If we can't do that, we'll definitely get you next week and pick up everything from the missed week then, as well as the current week.
Not only do you call to complain if we didn't do your pickup because of extenuating circumstances - extreme weather, construction closing your road, emergency vehicles blocking our way to your home, etc. - but you'll lie when you forget to put your cart out on trash day. We're onto you, though. See, our policy is that the carts have to be curbside by 6:00am, or the night before, whichever you prefer. None of us start our routes before 6:00am so when we drive by your house at 6:35am and the cart is up by the garage, I snap a picture of it on my tablet. Then I mark the stop "Not Out". So when you call the office and claim you were missed the customer service ladies can honestly say that we were there at 6:35am but the cart was not curbside by the attached picture. No discount for you. Just be honest, people, and say you forgot. There's no shame in that.
So a few words of advice. Please don't yell at us because your cart has crap stuck to the bottom of the inside because you don't bag your garbage, or throw loose trash in there. Clean the cart. Don't bitch at us because you're garbage wasn't picked up the previous week, just ask us what happened and we'll tell you. Don't threaten to switch companies because we're having a blizzard with sub-zero temperatures and our bosses have decided that it's too cold and dangerous for us to be out driving around in it. Don't put out more than we're allowed to pick up and get angry with us because we can't take it all, there are rules for a reason. And for Pete's sake, stop saying we're "just garbage men/women". We're providing you with a service and we deserve the same respect you want for yourselves. If you see us at your house, simply smile and say, "Thanks for all you do, I really appreciate it." It goes a long way with brightening our day.
Until next time...peace to all.
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