- Cape Rolling Out Bloomfield Road Art Trail (8/21/19)1
- Donors Pledge Almost Two Grand To Replace SEMO's Possibly Sentient ‘Gum Tree' (8/16/18)
- SEMO and The Will To (Become A Consultant) – Part 2 (6/14/18)
- SEMO and The Will To Do (You Really Want To See That Legal Notice?) – Part 1 (6/4/18)
- Diary of Cape Girardeau Road Deconstruction (5/11/18)
- Trying To Save A Tree From City “Improvements” (4/30/18)2
- Eggs-asperated: A Topic Made For Twitter (1/24/17)1
Judge, Jury... Trashman
My trash day in Cape is on Thursday, and for the past few weeks I’ve been a bit apprehensive that it would actually be picked up.
This anxiety was due to the fact my street has been under siege in a fashion, having “won” the local Transportation Tax Fund lottery. The 200 and 300 blocks of South Louisiana have been hosting the fine folks from Lappe Concrete Finishing as they systematically destroyed and rebuilt much of the street and adjacent sidewalks.
In doing so, there have been days that I wasn’t sure my trash would be picked up due to all the obstacles -- concrete trucks, excavators, bobcats, concrete trucks, trailers, piles of construction material and concrete trucks.
However, it turned out that my concern was unfounded.
Somehow my trash and Monday recycling has been picked up every week without fail, although the apprehension returned yesterday when I came home last night after work. As I turned in the block, I could see that two of my neighbor’s cans were still out by the curb, obviously not picked up, their contents runneth over.
I immediately assumed my side of the street had been missed, but when I checked my can, it had been emptied. That’s when I noticed the yellow tags on my two neighbor’s cans.
The infamous yellow tag.
The tag that no one ever want to see.
The tag of… The Trashman.
I’m not sure if this is how things work in other cities, but in Cape, The Trashman is the judge, jury and in a way, executioner of your refuse. If something doesn’t meet spec, out comes the yellow tag and your trash or recycling doesn’t get hauled away.
It’s kind of like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld.
“No trash pickup, FOR YOU!”
Of course, I had to know the reason why my neighbor’s trash was not picked up. I once had recycling declined because I put some scrap pieces of PVC plumbing pipe in the bin. Turns out all plastic is not the same. Go figure.
Anyhow, the scribble in the Other field on the tag wire tied to my neighbor’s trash bin indicated their violation was “over loaded.”
I would agree, but it is certainly not the first time I've seen a trash can's lid ajar and it is still picked up. I do have to wonder how exactly this situation is going to correct itself. Their cans are full now with the lids wide open which is quite helpful to the raccoon family that lives in the storm sewer at the corner of Louisiana and Good Hope. Unless they leave for the week – my neighbors, not the raccoons -- they will continue to generate even more trash for next week. But if they are overloaded now, they will be doubly-so next Thursday. What then? TWO yellow tags?
And who does the yellow tag actually punish?
My neighbors, I suppose. The Yellow Tag is a much, much milder version of what Cersei had to endure in the Season 5 finale of Game of Thrones.
“Shame! Shame! Shame!”
But really, it is the other people who live in the block who will have to live with the decision of The Trashman. Unless it happens to gets disposed of some other way, the cans will continue to sit overflowing out by the curb, the smell of rotting food, sunbaked to that oh-so perfect aroma, that wafts through the air making the neighbors gag.
Well, most neighbors. The raccoon family fully supports The Trashman’s efforts.
******
UPDATE: While leaving for work this morning (6-1-2018) I saw my neighbor unloading some of the more overflowing parts of the trashcans. She told me, she'd called the city who said they'd be sending a truck by to empty the bins. Needless to say, the raccoons are not happy.
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