Dumpster Divers and Messy Sidewalks

OnlyOneKenobi

OnlyOneKenobi

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I'm not sure whether it's only in this neighbourhood - I've certainly not noticed it to be as prevalent elsewhere as it is here - but on garbage bin collection day, there are dumpster divers parked on sidewalks everywhere.

They really seem to like my sidewalk in particular. Now, even if I go through to the trouble of handing these guys the items I think they might want from my garbage (glass, bottles, plastic, and boxes for recycling etc) in a separate bag or box, they still go waist deep into my dustbin five seconds after it touches the sidewalk, ripping refuse bags to shreds in search of who-knows-what. The end result is that trash is strewn just about everywhere in the street, either because of their digging or because when the collectors do come, they just dump stuff into their truck and because the bags are ripped open, the trash is just flung around the sidewalk and flower beds, and this is just left for me to sort out. So much fun to pick up the crap I already threw away once, only to throw it away again... or worse... to find neighbours' garbage on my grass and flower beds.

How do you deal with dumpster divers? Do you even have this issue at all in your area?
 
Happens everywhere
That is why we do not put our garbage out on the pavement and rther wait for the truck to arrive at the complex
They hoot and make a racket until one of the retired old peoples gets up and goes and opens the gate for them

Same with the recycling truck that comes around once a week
 
Pineapple Smurf said:
Happens everywhere
That is why we do not put our garbage out on the pavement and rther wait for the truck to arrive at the complex
They hoot and make a racket until one of the retired old peoples gets up and goes and opens the gate for them

Same with the recycling truck that comes around once a week
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That's one of the advantages of complexes I guess... in a free standing house you couldn't really do that because you don't even know for sure that the truck will arrive at all, much less on the right day or any particular time.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
That's one of the advantages of complexes I guess... in a free standing house you couldn't really do that because you don't even know for sure that the truck will arrive at all, much less on the right day or any particular time.
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Yup, there is no easy solution for your stand alone properties that relies on garbage bins been out on the sidewalk for the dumster divers to go bos with. Unless you add a snake each week to the top of the bin
 
I used to have the same issue. then I waited one morning, saw it happen and went to to talk to them.

I asked very politely that they clean up after themselves, adding that I give them food and old clothing etc. on a regular basis.

So I just said do they think it is fair that they make such a mess?

The result was remarkable...I've seen some of them clean up after others were there and made a small mess.

Screaming and swearing and threatening brings you nowhere with these people...they have heard and seen it all.
 
Are you in PE?

I have this issue every week. The municipal bakkie that comes at 4h30 AM consolidates our streets' bags on our verge; at 5h00 the vagrants appear and rip all the bags open and by the time the collection lorry arrives, half the bags are strewn across our verge.

It's been happening without fail ever since we moved in and I just consider it part of life at this stage.
 
PhireSide said:
Are you in PE?

I have this issue every week. The municipal bakkie that comes at 4h30 AM consolidates our streets' bags on our verge; at 5h00 the vagrants appear and rip all the bags open and by the time the collection lorry arrives, half the bags are strewn across our verge.

It's been happening without fail ever since we moved in and I just consider it part of life at this stage.
Click to expand...

Its the way in pretty much every town/city really.

Our guys seem to have a schedule and come through on rubbish day from about 7am - 9am, so my rubbish only goes out after that and is generally "safe" from the destruction.
 
In Sedgefield we also have a dumpster diver collective.
The municipality guys who collect the rubbish bags have an 'arrangement' with them: If they don't leave black bags intact and 'pick-uppable', or they leave crap strewn all over the road, they get a klap.
Muni guys sorted that problem long ago.
 
bwana said:
Must suck having to live like that so as far as I'm concerned if they tidy up afterwards, and they do for the most part, then it's no skin off my back.
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Yep... it does suck. So dumpster divers are one part of the problem, the other being by-passers who just toss whatever trash they're carrying because there's already rubbish strewn about. Or those who park on the sidewalk to have lunch and then leave their cans, bottles and containers right there.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
Yep... it does suck. So dumpster divers are one part of the problem, the other being by-passers who just toss whatever trash they're carrying because there's already rubbish strewn about. Or those who park on the sidewalk to have lunch and then leave their cans, bottles and containers right there.
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Like I said - it's not really a problem where I live, nor is littering. One of the many benefits of living in the burbs.

Stray dogs ripping into the bags are a problem so we have to make sure the bins are sealed and that we don't/can't put the rubbish out the night before.
 
OnlyOneKenobi said:
I'm not sure whether it's only in this neighbourhood - I've certainly not noticed it to be as prevalent elsewhere as it is here - but on garbage bin collection day, there are dumpster divers parked on sidewalks everywhere.

They really seem to like my sidewalk in particular. Now, even if I go through to the trouble of handing these guys the items I think they might want from my garbage (glass, bottles, plastic, and boxes for recycling etc) in a separate bag or box, they still go waist deep into my dustbin five seconds after it touches the sidewalk, ripping refuse bags to shreds in search of who-knows-what. The end result is that trash is strewn just about everywhere in the street, either because of their digging or because when the collectors do come, they just dump stuff into their truck and because the bags are ripped open, the trash is just flung around the sidewalk and flower beds, and this is just left for me to sort out. So much fun to pick up the crap I already threw away once, only to throw it away again... or worse... to find neighbours' garbage on my grass and flower beds.

How do you deal with dumpster divers? Do you even have this issue at all in your area?
Click to expand...
Have the same kak here. I've got a 210litre drum service. R120 per month. So all trash (Inside bags) goes in the bin. Gets emptied once a week.
Also like Mr Quin up here tried to talk sense into them. Nothing. Then one day when i saw an oke diving i went out with a gas bb pistol. Looks befok real. Didn't point the oke, just walked with it. Told him if i get back in a minute the place is clean. It was clean and he was gone like yesterdays lunch.
Anycase, all us neighbours are now paying R100 a month for a gardening company to keep the veld across our homes clean. There's always these fckers throwing out their Kfc rubbish, beer bottles, shake-shake boxes etc.
 
Our local security company takes no **** on bin days and politely escort any vagrant out of the neighbourhood who hasn’t learnt not to be there before.

Only time it’s a problem is if you put the bin out the night before there will be the odd sneak attack but even then generally not a mess.
 
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