The Garbage People

This is a true story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. I didn’t have to, they already did it. They were Complete Sanitation, then I think they changed their name to United Sanitation, then they changed their name to Robertson Sanitation, and the side of their trucks say something different, but the statements still have Robertson Sanitation on the head of it.

Two weeks ago, one Friday, when we just got in from gallivanting, the phone rang and it was Robertson Sanitation saying effective a week from Tuesday, May the 8th our garbage pickup day will be Tuesday. It was then Friday.

Through the following week my two neighbors on each side of me didn’t mention it. They are both elderly and stay home everyday. Such an upheaval would be worth talking about. I finally asked Kathleen about it and she said, yes, she got a phone call too, she was going to mention it but forgot. But, she said her neighbor on the other side of her, Glenda and Terry did not get the message. I asked Jim on the other side of me did he get the message and he said no. He checked with his wife and she didn’t either. Friday, they go out every Friday too – it is his wife’s beauty shop day. Glen and Terry both work. So, I reasoned, Robertson Sanitation was only telling people they could reach on the phone and talk directly to, they were not leaving messages.

I thought somebody should call them and tell them not all their customers on this street officially knew they had a new garbage day. I took it upon myself to do it. I called and talked to a lady in customer service. She said in so many words that somebody made a mistake, those calls that Kathleen and we got we were not suppose to. Only the Austell area is changing. Our pickup day will remain on Friday.

I called Jim and Kathleen. Kathleen, in turn, said she would tell Glenda.

Then, on Friday when the garbage was picked up a note the garbage men attached a note to each garbage can saying our new pickup will be Tuesday, which will begin the next Friday on the 8th.

At this point, imagine the music in a Charlie Brown Special that goes, “Waa Waaa!”

Monday as I was getting the garbage to the street somebody asked me “are you sure they are picking up garbage tomorrow?” I

“I won’t know until they do or don’t” was my reply.

On Tuesday the 8th (yesterday) indeed they picked up. I think it was a breeze for the workers – not much garbage would have accumulated from last Friday to Tuesday, and also not all people complied for one reason or another. They picked up the regular garbage and the recyclables. They picked up earlier than usual.

Later that day, in the afternoon, I got a call from Robertson Sanitation. He was a country sounding guy… the kind that doesn’t put on airs when he talk. He told me effective next week on Tuesday the 15th the garbage would be picked up that day.

I told him they picked up this Tuesday because a note already notified us.

He said that was just a trial run. They were going to pick up Friday this week too, because a lot of people are confused and didn’t have their garbage out.

I bet they were confused. I wonder why!

He ended our call by saying, “Thank you, Bud!”