The Garbage Man Can!

December 6, 2005 2:02 PM

The Garbage Man: where would we be without him?

Some are under-appreciated, some hated. Some may deserve our ire. Some just don't care.

They can inspire fiction, poetry, even a cult! [warning: midi bagpipes]
posted by Mr T (22 comments total)

And don't forget everybody's favorite garbage man!
posted by JeffK at 2:12 PM on December 6, 2005

So long as they don't go and get 'air conditioned garbage trucks'. I've seen more chest-beating about garbagemen being allowed to not suffer from the heat in the last couple of days on CNN than I have outrage over lying to start a war.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:19 PM on December 6, 2005

I pity my garbage man. I use him as a pawn in my power struggle with the man. I hold a grudge against the city fathers that moronically decreed that we should reduce our trash to two cans a week. Fair enough, seems noble. But what about when I'm away a week, should I not receive credit for the pickup I paid for but didn't use, say later in the year when I'm cleaning the garage? My immature protest involves discarding as heavy of items as possible, I'd love to get some lead bars if I could, just to help get my average weight up.

I figure it highlights the short sighted thinking by decreeing a volume, but not a weight of maximum garbage allowance.

This summer I topped up my cans with yard waste, which is nominally free and unlimited if in clear plastic bags, but I prefer to have them haul it away.

Most ineffective protest of all time, I realize.

Yeah, it's cruel and stupid to wreck the garbage back just because I'm pissed at a councilor but I've got to lash out at someone.

And yes, my wife does think I'm insane.
posted by Keith Talent at 2:20 PM on December 6, 2005

Thanks Mr T! I've spent the last couple of days collecting all things garbage-oriented for my garbageman worshipping son. Some of these links might be fun for him once I 'clean them up' a little. (Aaaaah ha ha ha... hmm.)

There's the wonderful 'Garbage' episode of This American Life.
posted by maryh at 2:29 PM on December 6, 2005

Lord of the Barnyard
posted by mrgrimm at 2:43 PM on December 6, 2005

This poor NYC sanitation worked got killed by a carelessly disposed plastic jug of acid.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:43 PM on December 6, 2005

And don't forget everybody's favorite garbage man!

... nor should we forget The Armchair Garbageman
posted by Robot Johnny at 2:44 PM on December 6, 2005

Bird is the word.

Wait, no, that was The Trashmen.

Wow, I could sit and stare at those lyrics all day long.
posted by BaxterG4 at 2:48 PM on December 6, 2005

That hydrofluoric acid bit in StickyCarpet's post was kinda creepy. There is a demand for this stuff? Well, I undemand it. Now. Soap and water...and maybe a little wax if I'm feeling like a real American, but HF? No thanks, buddy.
posted by kozad at 3:03 PM on December 6, 2005

Years ago garbage trucks had crews of three men, a driver and two collectors. Trash collection in my neighborhood now is done by a single driver. His truck has this huge mechanical arm that reaches down and snatches the containers from the curb. How long until they do away with the driver and go all robotic?
posted by Mr T at 3:07 PM on December 6, 2005

The Garbage Man: where would we be without him?

Where indeed?
posted by Gator at 3:17 PM on December 6, 2005

My vote goes mainly to "unappreciated." As I child, I lived with my grandfather, who was a garbageman. He used to bring home wonderful things for me from the crazy assortment of perfectly fine things people just chuck. It's a hard life, filled with stink and back pain and ingratitude, and I'd give them all air-conditioned trucks and free trips to a masseur and whatever the hell else they wanted if it were in my power.

(And stop being a bastard to your garbagemen, Mr. Talent, unless you enjoy being their version of "the man.")
posted by melissa may at 3:25 PM on December 6, 2005

Stick out your can
Here comes the garbage man
posted by fixedgear at 3:26 PM on December 6, 2005

well you can't dig me you can't dig nothin'. do you want the real thing, or are you just talkin'? do you understand? i'm your garbageman. yeah, somethin' from the garage and down the driveway. now get outta your mind and get outta my way. now do you understand? do you understand? louie, louie, louie, lou-i the bird's the word and do you know why? you gotta beat it with a stick. you gotta beat it 'til it's thick. you gotta live until you're dead. you gotta rock 'til you see red. now do you understand? do you understand? i'm a garbageman. aw, jump on and ride...

Yeah. the Cramps.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:36 PM on December 6, 2005

Hey, I know that guy in the "Some" link! He's my neighbor!
posted by trip and a half at 3:41 PM on December 6, 2005

Hydrofluoric acid, iirc, is used to etch glass (you cover the area you want to remain clear with wax, apply the HF, exposed glass gets frosted).

HF is in pretty high demand by piss driblet vandals taggers - they dip dried-out jiffy markers in this stuff so they can tag bus windows.

/stomps off in a red-faced furious rage looking for some stupid little kids to smack upside the head
posted by PurplePorpoise at 3:42 PM on December 6, 2005

Hydrofluoric acid is used to legitimately etch glass, but I have also heard it being used in protection rackets, like why don't you buy office supplies from us? no? well check your window tomorrow.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:49 PM on December 6, 2005

Curiously, my three brothers and I all, independently, wanted to be garbagemen when we grew up. It always happened roughly the last year before we would start kindergarten. I guess being at home, watching the garbagemen come once a week, we were amazed by how cool it was that the collector got to ride on the back of the truck and run that big, loud machine.

Neither of our two sisters shared the fascination, but nobody's perfect.
posted by jedicus at 3:50 PM on December 6, 2005

Great links. Excellent insight into something most people don't put enough thought into. This type of post is what keeps me coming to Metafilter. Thanks. Mr T .
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 4:16 PM on December 6, 2005

Excellent post.
posted by Afroblanco at 5:33 PM on December 6, 2005

Charles Starkweather was a garbageman.
posted by stinkycheese at 9:24 PM on December 6, 2005

Henry Rollins has a funny anecdote about two suburban white boys wandering around downtown DC one night while tripping or high or drunk or something. They get "offered" a ride by two huge musclebound Scary Black Men. They ride around in circles for what seems like hours. Whiteboys are crapping their pants. Eventually the ride ends up at one of the kids' houses. Turns out their "abductors" were the local garbagemen pranking the kids but good. Ha.


(funnier if Henry tells it)
posted by scratch at 1:45 PM on December 7, 2005