The City is Here!

Our municipality has decided that all homeowners must buy a $120 green bin for their garbage, non compliance will get you a courtesy ticket then a hefty fine. My main reason for "non compliance" is, as a single person who watches what he buys and throws out, I hardly throw out any garbage to warrant a humongous green bin. Other reasons are that I can't get the massive green bin into my car from the hardware store (who are only too happy to make money off this new law), I don't have any room for the gargantuan green bin, I hate bureaucracy and I'm too poor to put out the money. What bugs me the most is the size of the green bin which only a maniac consumer could fill in week! It suggests to me that you paid for, and therefore are entitled to fill that massive green bin every week, almost like it's your duty!

I've already received a Courtesy ticket from the guys who pick up the garbage (sanitation engineers?) for using my garbage can once so now I sneak my one bag a month into my neighbors green bin when they've left for work. This is not something I like doing, it makes me feel like a petty criminal.

Today, I snuck a small bag of garbage into my neighbors green bin (which was barely half full) and then put a small garbage bag of waste plastic vinyl from construction work on my house, into the blue bin (which is also humongous!). I notice the garbage truck is taking a long time in front of my house, so I go over to see what's going on. Guess what, I'm getting another courtesy ticket for putting the plastic vinyl in a green garbage bag which is not allowed! Blood rushes to my head as I grab the ticket off the blue bin, crumple it up and throw it at the truck like I'm David throwing a rock at Goliath! Of course the guy who is working a hard job alone picking up all the garbage gets mad and starts yelling at me. "Go talk to the driver, I'm only doing my job". I quickly apologize and state that its the municipality that I'm mad at for not calling me back about my complaint. The driver shuts off the engine and comes out to talk with me. After telling them my story, they couldn't agree with me more. By the end of it, I've made friends with both guys because they get my frustration, especially when laws change and they are forced to deal with non-compliance issues. They hate the new system! I did point out that the new bins (when full) attach to an automatic mechanism that make their jobs a little easier and I get that, but the guys said they didn't much care for the new system!

The municipality, on their high horse, directs the tax payers to buy and store these huge bins and stands ready to fine anyone who doesn't agree or need this service. I already pay a shit load of money for the privilege of having my 10 bags a year picked up. This of course is after I've paid good money for garbage cans. In exasperation I say, when did La Peche become like Chelsea? When did we become part of the city sprawl?

I think we have it all wrong! For example, we have pick up for toxic wastes just a few days a year. Last week I put out some old paint and a big box of lead filled batteries I've been collecting for years. The guy told me that they don't pick up batteries, that go in the garbage. What the fuck?!

I know the system is stacked against me and sooner or later I'll have to comply or capitulate! I'll do it when I'm good and ready, hopefully when I can find a small green bin that is affordably priced, maybe at a garage sale? This is my way of rebelling against bureaucrazy and the slow creep of the city into the country. Maybe this is why I live alone...