Two people are outside digging in our recycling bin for cans

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
I've seen people do this at gas stations and rest stops, but I've never seen people going around to houses doing it, especially at 4:30 in the afternoon.
 

Ronstang

Lifer
Jul 8, 2000
12,493
18
81
Oh yes I know. Especially since we're in San Diego next to a canyon. I've just never seen them go through the recycling bin on the street before.

Go out there and tell them you will make a separate bag for them with nothing but cans in it from now on, until they stop picking them up.

We used to go through TONS of cans at my lake house back in the day. We could easily have several cases of cans on a weekend. We would crush them and when the trash bag was full there was a poor girl that worked at a shop up on the highway we would give them to.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
you should see college housing the night before garbage night... goldmine.

lol, yes, I have seen them do that before. At least the stuff they take out then stays out of the landfill for a little while longer.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
tell them to fuck off... they will usually laeve you alone after that

They already left. They appear to belong to a cleaning company based on the label on the side of the car they were driving.
 

tasmanian

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2006
3,811
1
0
As long as they arnt throwing bottles everywhere and making a mess, I say let em have the cans if they want.
 

foghorn67

Lifer
Jan 3, 2006
11,883
63
91
Sign of the times. Been dealing with it for a while, starting shredding stuff eons ago.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
As long as they arnt throwing bottles everywhere and making a mess, I say let em have the cans if they want.

Yeah, I did. They put back all non-cans so I figure the dollar they got in cans isn't worth doing anything about it. However, the city of San Diego does lose that dollar, not Waste Management or another company.
 
Last edited:

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
Times are hard. They are still looking for change.

I know you're making a joke, but personally I wouldn't risk a job to earn an extra dollar or two. My guess is that their employer would not be ok with them using the company car to go through the neighborhood collecting cans after they finished their job.
 

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
Your taxes are going up to make up for the lost revenue

I'm not concerned about the illegals costing the city an extra dollar from lost recycling revenue. Maybe I should call Lou Dobbs and do an "i-report" on this extremely important issue
 

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
Go out there and tell them you will make a separate bag for them with nothing but cans in it from now on, until they stop picking them up.

We used to go through TONS of cans at my lake house back in the day. We could easily have several cases of cans on a weekend. We would crush them and when the trash bag was full there was a poor girl that worked at a shop up on the highway we would give them to.
I wish that there are people that do that in my neighborhood. Currently, I have 5 large garbage bags full of bottle and cans because the city garbage men & the recycling crew wouldn't take them.
 

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
I was going to say that the "OP must not live in San Diego," then he said that he lives in San Diego.

Really?! Huh.

Seriously, OP... I saw that crap every time I visited for years and I see it almost daily now that I live here. San Diego is the perfect storm of homeless-friendly weather and CA refund values for bottles & cans.
 
Last edited:

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,558
834
126
Yes, poor people exist!

Poor people? on trash day we have a SUV that comes into out neighborhood and few females get out and dig in everyone's recycle bins to get the cans out. I talked to one of the ladies once when she was in my bin. I was outside about 10 feet from it and she didn't even seem to care. Apparently they drive to tons of different neighborhoods on trash day and do this, and know the pick up schedule for most of the city. This is their job and oddly enough she probably makes more than I do, she definitely works a lot less than I do. She doesn't have a 9-5, just about an hour a day of recycle bin diving. Since the bins are full of recycle only stuff she doesn't even have to dig threw anything disgusting or get dirty. She said they hit 2 neighbor hoods every morning Mon-Fri. Seems like a damn easy way to make a living. Was pretty interesting to talk to a stranger about this while she dug thru my trash can like it was the thing to do. I know between my Roomates and I we go threw about 3 cases of Coke a week. So for her 2 minutes she got about $1.80, not bad. I watched her do this for every house up and down my block. You're not going to get 401k or enough to retire from this. But I bet they make a easy $200 in my neighborhood alone, and they're in and out in like 40 minutes.
 
Last edited:

rockyct

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2001
6,656
32
91
I was going to say that the "OP must not live in San Diego," then he said that he lives in San Diego.

Really?! Huh.

Seriously, OP... I saw that crap every time I visited for years and I see it almost daily now that I live here. San Diego is the perfect storm of homeless-friendly weather and CA refund values for bottles & cans.

It's a newer area of San Diego but still just 15 years old. Anyway, I see the canyon people everywhere looking for work, but I've never seem them go through a home's recycling bin. Dumpsters of course, but not the cans on the street.