I broke the law. I scavenged at the landfill. I couldn't help myself.
Last weekend, I was tossing our garbage into the community pile, when I spotted this sitting up amongst the rubbish.
Above it hung a white sign: No Scavenging. County Ordinance 4.32 blah, blah, blah.
I looked around. I could use that massive jar/bottle thingie. No one else was there. Even the prisoner gals who sort the recyclables were off on Saturday ... not that they would mind much. They know me ... some are my exstudents.
So, I swooped it up and laid it in the JEEP. No alarms went off as I drove away. I breathed a sigh of relief.
The book in the photo is just for a size reference. It's volume must be about 4 or 5 gallons. I don't know what this jar/bottle thingie held in it's past life (pickled eggs, pigs feet, pickles?), but it's going to hold fish in it's future.
I just got a new aquarium.
Free.
Call it recycling.
Just don't call the garbage police.
13 comments:
"Even the prisoner gals who sort the recyclables were off on Saturday ... not that they would mind much. They know me ... some are my exstudents"
The lesson I've learned is that we should never become ex-students of yours.
Why is it against the law to scavenge aka "recycle" garbage?
I use to love to go to the dumps with my dad when I was a kid even though it reminded me of what hell might be like...rats running around, smoke rising from burning piles of rubbish and smelled terrible. But what fun things you could find if you weren't afraid to get out of the pickup.
Really prisoner gals? Is there a work release program at the dumps? Nice bottle, and a fine aquarium.
Personally I always thought the "no scavenging" rule was stupid. I mean, it's garbage - it's not like the person who put it there is going to come back and ask for it. Sheesh!
I'm glad that the alarm didn't go off, though - I hear you've got to SHARE your computer with other inmates in jail, and... just, eww!
That's a good point that the commenters are making here. Why IS it against the law to scavenge? Aside from liability issues, I should think that scavenging is a great way to recycle.
We have the most beautiful old fashioned radio from the ....40's (?) that my hub found at the dump when he was a kid.
I think I'll do a post about it!
Since I like to decorate, I'd have a field day with the possiblities of using that jar around the house!
One of the perks of academic life is picking up lab throwaways that otherwise go into "surplus", whatever that is. We've obtained some fantastic culture jars that way, but obviously didn't obtain any relics of worth to anyone but ourselves.
So long as you don't have a sheriff named Obie, or leave a marked envelope at the bottom of a pile of garbage, you needn't sit on the group W bench and should be ok. Dadadaa, dadadadadaaaa, dadadada dadadaaaa.
excellent jar!
we live a block from the local recycling center. they have a book exchange, and it is also ok to dig magazines out of the "glossy" dumpster, but it's supposed to be verboten to grab other stuff, although i don't think the recycle people really care. my daughter and some pals used to go scavenging, and came back with all kinds of stuff from the "metal" bin -- the ugliest wall-hanging you ever saw, a TV tray, etc. [most of it went back from whence it came, but the kids didn't get arrested or anything.]
Is this the kind of behavior that they teach you at the FLETC?
It helps to know the guards at the trash imprisonment areas. We used to have a friend who drove the big digger thingie that they use to cover debris at the landfill down the road. Guess what NY farm has a lovely gate that someone tossed out....right down below the barnyard in fact.
Hick,
Well, we can't reach all of them. I can usually tell by 7th grade which kids are heading to jail...
I used to love scavenging wood with my Dad at a shipyard "dump" when I was a kid. It was like a treasure hunt.
Why is it illegal these days ...LAWYERS.
roger,
i agree. one person's trash is ...
Robin,
Yes, really prisoner girls. It's a work release job. I'd sign up too if my choice was sit in a cell or go work at the dump.
Mrs. S,
Yeah, I share it enough around HERE!
Laura,
The radio sounds neat. I think liability fear is the reason for a lot of "defunning" :)
I know what you would do with that jar Florida gal, ... fill it with all those seashells the family has picked up over the years and set it on an end table... maybe with a spray of sea oats sticking out.
Wayne,
I love the white buckets of all sizes that specimens come in. Those go home with me.
Kathy A,
Glad to know the kids avoided the garbage police. Neat that you can salvage books tho.
Hal,
I know, I know ... what have I become?
Threecollie,
That was trash treasure! It's good to have connections.
Wow, I wish that I had found it!!!
Excellent!!!
Excellent!!!
Ava,
When I finally get it up and running as an aquarium, I'll post a pic.
Ooooh. Prisoner girls. Oops, wrong blog comment. Lol.
My brother had an aquarium for years made from one of those old glass water jugs (long before they were plastic-like). It was the coolest.
Shame on you! ...But why is it against the law to take things from the dump?
My daughter has a big jar like that, but it doesn't have the lid rings on it. It's for those tall dried cattails & pampass grass flower arrangement thingys.
Maybe it's for making moonshine.
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