Yep, I believe it's the same here in Seattle. My uncle had a problem with this many years ago. He generated no trash, but the city still charged him.

10 years ago, we were given permission by my boss at a company I worked for to put our trash in thier large trash bin, since it was never more than 1/2 full and they still paid "full price" The city still charged us for our home trash pickup.

Talk about "sweating the little stuff" :). I don't live in "laid back CA", but if I saw someone putting trash in my "toter" that was by the street waiting to be picked up....I probably wouldn't give it a second thought, and one would be too many.

Its hard for me to comprehend being concerned about someone putting something in your trash can which is out at the curb for pick up. Unless you plan on stuffing another bag in the following morning and all the extra space is taken?

We have our trash picked up curbside 2 days a week and everyone in the town pays the same amount. $ 17 / month. The city provides the trash bags and is included in the $ 17.
Trash cans are not allowed. Everything is to be bagged or boxed. 5 bags allowed per pickup but I have had over 15 before with no complaints. They will pick up any 'special' item for $20 including stoves, refrigs, furniture, etc.

What is this trash pickup service you all talk about? :confused::D Don't any of you simply burn it in a burn barrel like normal folk?

Man am I glad I live in a rural area with no neighbors to b!tch and moan about every little thing....definitely worth the 37 mile drive to work.;)

I can't believe I read this thread...trying to find an answer to my question.

That is, If you can't toss light bulbs and batteries, how do you get rid of them?

I'm with Tim...rural life is great. Think I might burn my brush pile soon...:D

I thought of this thread as I drove into work today. Going through an upper middle class neighborhood at 6 am. I turned the corner, and saw a guy with three trash bags in his hand. Small, as trash bags go, but trash bags, nonetheless. He waited for me to pass, then walked across the street, tossed his stuff in a garbage can, and then crossed back to his house. (Watched it all in the rearview mirror.) His house already had 5 trashcans (2 garbage, 2 lawn waste, 1 recycling) in front. Never even thought this weirdness went on.

Unless it is something that doesn’t belong there, what’s the problem? How do they track what the volume you leave out anyway? I can see if you put recyclables in the regular trash but other than that if there is room just make sure the top is on tight.

I pay for full service and I hardly ever fill the trash can. So if someone I know tops it off with approved items I’m fine with that.
Recycling comes every two weeks and that is almost always close to full. Yard waste is only every week spring-fall and every other in the winter.

My neighbor has to borrow my yard waste a lot in the fall because he has a huge maple that dumps in my yard and he just thinks it is being neighborly to take care of the leaves on my side too, and I have no problem if he fills it the weeks I don’t. He is kind enough to bring it back from the curb after work if I don’t get to it first.

If I am out walking the dog and I have to bag a poop I sure don’t leave it there. If there is a can nearby in it goes. If the can owners are out sure I would ask.

But once you put the can on the curb I believe it is public domain. Make sure you destroy all important documents is all I would be concerned about.

+1 sounds like too many people living in one warm spot. I'll take the cold, by the way we have unlimiited pick up. Anything hanging out of the can is fair game for the racoons.

+1

"If I had space available and my neighbor asked first, no problem."

I live in LA-LA land as well, on a relatively peaceful, pleasant street, with, again, relatively normal neighbors. As nice as our neighborhood is, it does not compare with, not even remotely, the small town enviroment that I grew up in, rural upstate NY, where your neighbors became something akin to family, disfunctional or otherwise. I am often reminded of the difference in small matters: occasions when we need a couple eggs or something, and my wife (who grew up in Pasadena) will show reticence to go ask our very kind elderly widowed neighbor for a couple eggs, or a cup of flour, or whatever.
Again, when I was growing up, and even to this day, my mom will walk right into our neighbors home, whether they are there or not, take the eggs, leave a note with a big smiley face, and tell them if they want 'em back, they'll have to come over and get some cookies, 'cause that's where they ended up...

I am constantly amazed at the lack of neighborlyness (probably not a real word, sorry) here in So-Cal. I put it down to the simple lack of communication, sometimes due to the most fundamental reason, the inability to speak English!

So, back on point, if you have had more than 2 or 3 conversations with any given neighbor, it's not such a shock to see them place trash in YOUR trash can...it's much more surprising if you've never had a prior conversation with said neighbor. I think the greater travesty is that we have neighbors that we've never spoken to or associated with on our streets until they do something ridiculous, like fill our trash cans with hazardous materials...http://forums.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/wink.gif

just my 2 cents...

one christmas our recycle bin disappeared. i am pretty sure i know who did it. it then magically reappeared after pickup day. i wasn't amused.

I'm a trash can abuser. I don't throw away illegal stuff, but I use whatever space I can find whenever and where ever that may be. My justification if that little sign stamped on all of our Long Beach issued receptacles: "Property of the City of Long Beach." It doesn't belong to the neighbor or anyone else in this city, it belongs to the city.

Flawed logic, I know, but if it's on the street and it's near pick up time, all cans are fair game to me. BTW, all of our trash is burned at the port and the energy produced runs the port and some of the city (it's a very modern and clean setup). We don't have a municipal power company like our neighbor Los Angeles. So, we pay less to SoCAl Edison for city and port power that we can supply. Sometimes we even sell a little to the grid. No rolling blackouts so far.

As a result of our program, we were the last to get any decent size recycle receptacles. They needed the trash. The Feds stepped in and mandated a bigger percentage of total trash to be diverted. We still don't have separate yard waste receptacles; they need the trash.

So, whenever I am throwing away something combustible, no matter who's can it is, I do it.

Recycle my ass.
We have to PAY to recycle. Then the waste company sells the recycleables, which they sort from the ordinary trash anyway.
Bring on global warming.

Getting upset over someone (a neighbor, no less) putting trash in your trash can....jeeze...

Our HOA dues pay our trash collection. I've dumped stuff in the neighbors trash before, as I'm sure they would if they had too much stuff one week. No bid deal. Some of you get a little wound up about your trash. I mean its not like they dumped some God awful smelling rotted thing that left a gag reflex smell did they?

In New Hampshire we didn't even have trash pic-up. We don't need no sinking trash pick-up... had to go to the dump. You meet really nice people at a dump. And it's always fun watching the Dump Chickens.

Once again this comes down to the fact that we pay for the bins. If you need more bins for "More garbage" than pay for an extra bin. I pay an extra 4$ more a month for one, It does not mean that it's there for all to use, unless they want to pay me for the convenience.

There are materials that are ILLEGAL now to dump in our garbage. If the trash police find any of these items in my garbage, I'm responsible. Therefore...if I'm going to take the heat for what is in MY cans, then keep the **** out.

If your my neighbor and I know and trust you, then I'm taken that risk. And as for the PROPERTY OF LONG BEACH or what ever city it is stamped on your trash can, the CAN is the property of the city, the trash is yours. Ask any CSI team about that.

Next time I'll be waiting.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1203128173.jpg

Model 29, custom length barrel, 7 1/2" I think.
"Feel lucky punk?... Well do ya?"
You have valid points and of course it's just plain ignorance on the part of your neighbor.

Thank you.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/suppo...s/beerchug.gif

I'm with Wayne - unless it was something illegal - it's not that big a deal. I've offered to let neighbors use the unused space in my trash can, the recycle bin or the yard waste bin (latter two are free here & you get a credit for recycling).

Sure, he shold have asked first, but it doesn't seem like that big a deal.

OTOH, it was not street waste - go bck and read his original post.

I also sometimes use the big can that the park/cemetery next to my house puts out for things that won't fit in my small can (demolition debris from remodelling usually). I also sometimes put that can out or take it back (a 1/8 mile hike) so I figure more or less entitled.

Now, that said, just the other day I was driving back home and noticed the bad neighbor (the witch) lifting the lid on my trash can which was out on the street. I drove up to her and stared at here while she pretended she didn't do anything. Then I went and inspected just what she was up to.

So there is a certain feelin' you get if somebody goes thru your trash or adds to it.