| greatscot |
:3: What do you do in your neighborhood with scavengers?
I'm at home today fixing a water leak on my side of the meter :3: so I'm not in a good mood to start with.
Anyway, it's the semi-annual community clean up so we are asked to put our non-conforming trash out for special pick up. I put out a few things, one being an old, talkin' ratty, BBQ last night (that's when I discovered this water leak.) Well, this morning I get out early to tackle my challenge, when I see the top of the ratty old BBQ is gone, oh well, one man;s trash is another man's treasure. But while I'm out in a 4ft deep hole, here come another group of folks, and their *****in an' moanin' at me because I don't have the top part of the BBQ! Of all the bloody nerve!
First off, I give at the office, I give at church, I give to Boy Scouts, I give here and there, I volunteer at the soup kitchen on a regular basis, so it's not like I'm a snob, but given me crap 'cos I don't have the right kind of junk, is maddening. I'm up to my ears in mud, and these jerks are giving me static. I was tempted to charge them with my shovel :xnuts: :yodaddy: :soapbox:
Am I wrong? |
|
|
| phins2rt |
| NO!! One thing that drives me nuts is when I have everything out on the curb, nice and neat. Then the scavengers come along and start tossing everything around and making a huge mess. I try and put this stuff out right before the sanitation engineers come to take it away. It cuts down on the "fall out". |
|
|
| socalJD |
| Oh, those kind of scavengers (human) - I was gonna say, if you're referring to vultures, coyotes, possums or stray cats, a sawed off shotgun with rock salt should do the trick . . . come to think of it GScot, just cocking a 12 guage shotgun should solve all your 'scavenger' problems . . . :D |
|
|
| Pierre |
| Take a pill, man. Ignore them. If you get riled up, they're getting the better of you. Alternatively, you could've told them that the top is missing because the damn thing blew up the last time you fired it up, but that they're still welcome to use it as a hibachi, if they wish! |
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by Pierre
....Alternatively, you could've told them that the top is missing because the damn thing blew up the last time you fired it up, but that they're still welcome to use it as a hibachi, if they wish!
:19:
I think I would tell them to wear the BBQ in so many words...:3: |
|
|
| ByeByeChrysler |
At least they didn't ask for Steaks or Haggis for the BBQ.
:2: |
|
|
| mdxxxx |
quote:
Originally posted by ByeByeChrysler
At least they didn't ask for Steaks or Haggis for the BBQ.
:2:
I'm sure it just slipped their mind... I wouldn't put it past them...:rolleyes: |
|
|
| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by Pierre
Take a pill, man. Ignore them. If you get riled up, they're getting the better of you. Alternatively, you could've told them that the top is missing because the damn thing blew up the last time you fired it up, but that they're still welcome to use it as a hibachi, if they wish!
I took your advice, and the pill.
Sequel: tonight I get home, go out to check the mail, and another "smurf" pulls up in a fully loaded down pick-up. He asks, "hey, you got any heavy metal?" I respond in a helpful tone "you're welcome to this bbq frame, I'm sorry but some one already took the top." He replies, "no Dammit, that's cheap tin crap, I want real metal."
I can't believe it, who said beggars can't be choosers? :rolleyes: |
|
|
| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by ByeByeChrysler
At least they didn't ask for Steaks or Haggis for the BBQ.
:2:
Steaks they can have, but don't take my Haggis :2: |
|
|
| harmonr1 |
quote:
...you could've told them that the top is missing because the damn thing blew up the last time you fired it up...
We had the same problem, that and people putting there stuff out a month in advance and trashing the neighborhood. Last we changed to a "call ahead" system and they pick it up the next day. Much better.:D |
|
|
| RonH |
In our neighborhood, they won't pick up (or allow) things like that grill streetside .. we have to load it in the trailer and truck it to the landfill 10 miles away. Heck, they're so picky around here that they even make you remove the colored lids off the milk/oj jugs and put them in a seperate container. ....and don't even THINK of putting a oil filter in the trash (drained or otherwise). They actually take the time to sit there and pick them out and leave them on the ground next to the emtry trash can. :rolleyes:
Only thing we have vanish on a regular basis is when we rake up and bag our 2 zillion tons of leaves. We can put 200 bags up there, and before you can turn around, they're all gone. Makes me want to put a sign up there saying, "you want them, YOU BAG THEM!" :p |
|
|
| JL_SS |
quote:
Originally posted by RonH
Only thing we have vanish on a regular basis is when we rake up and bag our 2 zillion tons of leaves. We can put 200 bags up there, and before you can turn around, they're all gone. Makes me want to put a sign up there saying, "you want them, YOU BAG THEM!" :p
What do people do with them? |
|
|
| ghost |
probably use them for compost or mulch.
Hey, at least you're in a place where people properly throw out garbage - here's appliances often just end up in the ravine... :3: |
|
|
| RonH |
quote:
Originally posted by ghost
probably use them for compost or mulch.
That's my guess.
I've never actaully seen them being hauled off ... it's like they just sink into the ground. I literally left 90 giant bags up there one evening, and by the time I got out of the shower, they were all gone. Sometimes makes me wonder if I'm letting a gold mine go through my fingers.
As for the junk lying around, they're BIG time against it here. A coule years ago a guy down the road left a car in his yard one day and his lawn service happened cut around it because he wasn't there to move it. The city came in and towed it off as a car in distress. Only problem with the car is that it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sheesh. |
|
|
| ghost |
Yea, here we have a county ordinance on the number of junk cars you're allowed to have in your yard- I think it's 5.
There was a great hue and cry from the local populace, as it infringes on our individual freedoms to stockpile wreckage...
:rolleyes: |
|
|
| ayanomich |
| We remodeled the kitchen last year and bought a new range and dishwasher. Put the old ones out for pickup by a recycling company the next day, but before the company showed up, both items disappeared. Turns out some workers constructing a patio cover at my neighbor's house saw the appliances and absconded with them. My neighbor found them on the side of his house covered with plywood. Guess the workers were hiding them until their job was done. At least they could have asked before taking them, but I guess once stuff is on your curb, it's for the taking by anyone these days. |
|
|
| XStatic |
quote:
Originally posted by JL_SS
What do people do with them?
I have never picked up leaves on the curb, but I have considered it. I would shred and mulch them for my garden which is about 100ftx100ft and I don't have many trees to provide leaves, plus any leaves I did get would be full of weed seeds where the finely groomed lawns of the leaf donor would probably just include some high nitrogen fertilized grass clippings. |
|
|
| ghost |
Reusing leaves is a great idea - it's pretty dumb to landfill leaves, and then try replace the nutrients that were in the leaves with chemical fertilizer (although I suppose it keeps Scotts in business).
Mulching mowers are a great thing! |
|
|
| RonH |
quote:
Originally posted by ghost
Yea, here we have a county ordinance on the number of junk cars you're allowed to have in your yard- I think it's 5.
Five? Around here I sometimes feel like I have to leave the cars idling when I wash them so they don't tow them off as junk.
As for the mulching blades ... we use them, BUT we don't mulch the leaves when they start falling like crazy. If we did, it wouldn't be long before I'd be living on a man made mountain. :p |
|
|
| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by ghost
Reusing leaves is a great idea - it's pretty dumb to landfill leaves, and then try replace the nutrients that were in the leaves with chemical fertilizer (although I suppose it keeps Scotts in business).
Yes please keep Scotts in business, they are one of our large accounts. |
|
|
| harmonr1 |
| Around here, the city picks up the leaves, composts them and then resells the bags of compost through a couple of the local nurseries. It's actua;;y profitable for them. And no landfill space is wasted.:eek: |
|
|
| RonH |
| The city here also has one 'yard waste' day a week where all they pick up is grass clippings, etc ... provided they survive long enough to be picked up. I don't know what they do with it though. |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
I'll admit to having done my share of scavenging :o
However, there are some things that you just CAN'T see thrown away. I have a soft spot in my heart for old pre-1970 televisions. I figure that since they've made it this far, that they need a second chance :)
Found this set on the way to work about 4 years ago.....manufactured in 1948 and has channel one. Found it in exactly the condition that is in this pic, set now resides in an up and coming television museum in Shelburne Ontario.
Save space in your landfill.....send all of your pre-1970 televisions to me :2: |
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by hondacuraworld
I'll admit to having done my share of scavenging :o
However, there are some things that you just CAN'T see thrown away. I have a soft spot in my heart for old pre-1970 televisions. I figure that since they've made it this far, that they need a second chance :)
Found this set on the way to work about 4 years ago.....manufactured in 1948 and has channel one. Found it in exactly the condition that is in this pic, set now resides in an up and coming television museum in Shelburne Ontario.
Save space in your landfill.....send all of your pre-1970 televisions to me :2:
Wow, Tim! That's a beaut! I thought I was doing good with '51 Crosley 16 (?) inch.
A colleague I worked with has a garage in Saratoga CA. dedicated to antique radios and he has a fair amount of TV's too. I can try to put you in touch with him if you are ever interested, just PM me.
Reminds me of the Bellingham Antique Radio Museum. I went to several years ago, and when I told him about it he went there too, and when he came back told me he had more than they did!
But I think they have grown quite a bit since then...
http://www.antique-radio.org/newsite/home.htm |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
| Make sure to turn him on to the www.audiokarma.org vintage television and radio forums ;) |
|
|
| crmsnidol |
quote:
Originally posted by greatscot
:3: What do you do in your neighborhood with scavengers?
I'm at home today fixing a water leak on my side of the meter :3: so I'm not in a good mood to start with.
Anyway, it's the semi-annual community clean up so we are asked to put our non-conforming trash out for special pick up. I put out a few things, one being an old, talkin' ratty, BBQ last night (that's when I discovered this water leak.) Well, this morning I get out early to tackle my challenge, when I see the top of the ratty old BBQ is gone, oh well, one man;s trash is another man's treasure.
Am I wrong?
I put out an old BBQ last year and someone took the top off mine, dumped the coals and wire cooking racks on my lawn and left. I was friggin' P.O'd!
When my wife has yard sales (once a year to get rid of my daughter's clothes and her sister's junk) there are always people who want something for a nickel if it's amrked for a quarter and a dime if it's twnety cents. I hate that. Know what I do? My wife would kill me if she knew this...
I KNOW, people who visit yards sales do come back and check those homes on trash day knowing whatever wasn't sold will be put out. SOoooooo when my daughter was young and in diapers I would wipe a couple of fouled ones all over the contents of the trash bags . As she has gotten older and is now full potty-trained, I borrow the cat's turd nuggets for the job. Yeah, it's disgusting and awfully passive-agressive but I get sweet satisfaction even just picturing someone grabbing what they assume is a bag of clothes not worth $2 to purchase but certainly worthwhile when free and receiving a surprise stench in the car.
I once told a guy who wanted to give my wife a nickel for a toy she had marked for a quarter that I would "rather smash it in front of him than sell it for a nickel". |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
| This 1966 DuMont color found a few blocks over now resides in Roseville, MI with a fellow collector. |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
A 1950 Zenith "Porthole" I found on the way to work, currently at the Area31 Television Museum, Shelburne Ontario.
Being of limited space, I try to restrict myself to round-screen color televisions from 1954-1966, but I've got a bit of everything. |
|
|
| hondacuraworld |
A sad but rare 1950 Hallicrafters console "entertainment center". This set was $475 new in 1950! Lifting it by myself was no picnic.
Currently residing with me, a winter restoration project :)
Mind you I don't advocate for the people that you've all described, but I do see merit in preserving things like these. |
|
|
|
