ShamusVW
Active Member
I wonder if anyone can offer advice or a legal opinion for me please?
At our local refuse dump (Pietermaritzburg), as you drive in, there is a very large concreted area walled off on 3 sides. People drive into this area and offload their refuse. Often working in the same area but always away from the vehicles offloading is a front-end loader, loading the refuse into a truck.
This truck then takes the refuse onto the main dump site (and is often replaced with another one that is waiting), which is along a road up and around the main site for offloading on top. On the main site is then another bigger front-end loader/grader type vehicle, with huge steel wheels with big knobblies (for lack of another word) that compacts this refuse.
There are also about 20 odd people/scavengers that wonder around trying to look for stuff that they can take to sell/use/recycle, etc.
My question is this: this past weekend when I went to the site, I was refused to offload in the concreted area (which obviously was originally constructed for this exact reason) and told I have to go up onto the main site at the top. On the way riding up the hill to the top, I noticed the one security person walking to the top, and he had his hand gun out, making his way up!
Once I got to the top, as you get directed towards the centre of the area, these scavengers then try jump onto your vehicle (I have a bakkie), hoping that they have first option to what you are wanting to dump.
That is half the problem, as it can get quite stressful. I would hate to be a woman having to encounter them doing this. I stopped my vehicle and told them to all get off, as I had my gardener with me to offload.
The other issue is that the ground up on the main site is VERY rough, and I’m glad I didn’t get stuck (mine isn’t a 4x4) as well as littered with loads of things that will if not damage my underside of the vehicle, then very likely I’m going to get a puncture soon enough. When I mentioned this to one of the on-site officials, they said that they have a sign saying that you enter at your own risk, so they aren’t liable for any vehicle damage. There is also these graders working on top that you have to avoid as they just seem to drive without a care if you are parked close or not. (It amazes me that none of the scavengers have yet been killed by them!).
I’m not sure how “toxic” the air is up at the top, but it sure isn’t sweet smelling!
Is it legal/enforceable for them to make me go to the top of the dump as opposed to offloading at the bottom? Apparently they aren’t going to allow dumping in the bottom concrete area anymore.
Hopefully someone from Pmb who has already experienced this as well can identify with me.
I would think the main site itself should be “off limits” to non-personnel?
At our local refuse dump (Pietermaritzburg), as you drive in, there is a very large concreted area walled off on 3 sides. People drive into this area and offload their refuse. Often working in the same area but always away from the vehicles offloading is a front-end loader, loading the refuse into a truck.
This truck then takes the refuse onto the main dump site (and is often replaced with another one that is waiting), which is along a road up and around the main site for offloading on top. On the main site is then another bigger front-end loader/grader type vehicle, with huge steel wheels with big knobblies (for lack of another word) that compacts this refuse.
There are also about 20 odd people/scavengers that wonder around trying to look for stuff that they can take to sell/use/recycle, etc.
My question is this: this past weekend when I went to the site, I was refused to offload in the concreted area (which obviously was originally constructed for this exact reason) and told I have to go up onto the main site at the top. On the way riding up the hill to the top, I noticed the one security person walking to the top, and he had his hand gun out, making his way up!
Once I got to the top, as you get directed towards the centre of the area, these scavengers then try jump onto your vehicle (I have a bakkie), hoping that they have first option to what you are wanting to dump.
That is half the problem, as it can get quite stressful. I would hate to be a woman having to encounter them doing this. I stopped my vehicle and told them to all get off, as I had my gardener with me to offload.
The other issue is that the ground up on the main site is VERY rough, and I’m glad I didn’t get stuck (mine isn’t a 4x4) as well as littered with loads of things that will if not damage my underside of the vehicle, then very likely I’m going to get a puncture soon enough. When I mentioned this to one of the on-site officials, they said that they have a sign saying that you enter at your own risk, so they aren’t liable for any vehicle damage. There is also these graders working on top that you have to avoid as they just seem to drive without a care if you are parked close or not. (It amazes me that none of the scavengers have yet been killed by them!).
I’m not sure how “toxic” the air is up at the top, but it sure isn’t sweet smelling!
Is it legal/enforceable for them to make me go to the top of the dump as opposed to offloading at the bottom? Apparently they aren’t going to allow dumping in the bottom concrete area anymore.
Hopefully someone from Pmb who has already experienced this as well can identify with me.
I would think the main site itself should be “off limits” to non-personnel?
