From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: Making use of Dumpsters for trash disposal
Date: Sun, 02 Oct 2005 20:36:37 -0400
Message-ID: <lku0k1lmvi1omkbdof3i12sk9qj3mjd5ss@4ax.com>

On 2 Oct 2005 12:59:06 -0700, RidgemontRat77884@yahoo.com wrote:

>One way I've found to get rid of excess trash, or things I don't want
>is to find dumpsters of different companies to use. Try small Doctor's
>offices, grocery stores, or places like that. Usually there is no one
>around to say anything, and if they do what is the worst that can
>happen? Can you guys think of some other places that have dumpsters
>that can be used?

Since we dumpster owners have to pay for the service, when you dump
your crap in our units, you're committing theft of services.

Thanks to a surveillance camera pointed at my dumpster, I've caught
two different people like you.  The first, I swore out a warrant for
theft of services.  The perp was convicted, though it did cost me
considerable court time.

The second time I resolved the situation on my own.  Tools included a
can of bear spray (20% pepper spray) and a huge stun gun.  Of the two,
I bet the second guy is MUCH less likely to steal dumpster services
again!  For anyone else who wants to resolve a trash thief problem on
his own, here's a little tip.  Fasten salt-water-soaked gauze pads
over each prong of the stun gun.  This prevents the formation of burns
without diminishing the effectiveness of the stun.

The next time you go thieving, keep the above in mind.  Maybe look
over your shoulder and smile for the camera.  Also be aware that
anything found in your trash with your name on it is sufficient
evidence to convict you.

In my town, the first offense costs a maximum of $50 plus court costs
- About $200 additional dollars.  The second offense gets bounced out
of city court to General Sessions court where the typical fine is $1k
plus costs.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: Making use of Dumpsters for trash disposal
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 20:00:55 -0400
Message-ID: <61g3k150rkd7j3fr0n70nc7qllta91h36u@4ax.com>

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 09:35:42 -0400, George <george@nospam.invalid>
wrote:


>> I've never once seen a camera, and I doubt if some little dinky
>> Doctor's office in my town pays for cameras to do a "dumpster watch" so
>> I think you guys are overreacting. I've also never once heard of any
>> law that fines people for this. I doubt they could enforce that even if
>> there was one. .
>>
>
>Don't bet on it. Digital recorders and cameras are inexpensive. Many
>businesses install them to capture everything going on in and outside
>their property. There was a murder in a nearby town at a small
>restaurant. Three nearby "dinky" businesses captured the murderer on
>their camera systems which played a significant part of making an
>airtight case against the murderer.

Yup.  I put a 4 channel system in my business to a) catch the prick
who was stealing my morning paper, b) to catch the prick who was
siphoning fuel from my delivery truck and c) to catch the f*ckwit who
was sh*tting in my parking lot.  All three objective met.  My stun gun
has gotten a mighty workout.  Catching illegal dumpers was just icing
on the cake.

Now I could have bought a lot of fuel and morning papers for the
kilobuck it cost me to buy and install the video system but that's not
the point.  It's the principle of the thing.  Plus there is a certain
satisfaction to stepping out from a corner of my building with the
stun gun blazing just as the perp is doing the deed.  (I recommend the
baton type, as one doesn't have to get so close to the perp that way.)
I've had one guy crap his pants.  I wonder if I can get a heart
attack?  Hmmm.

The most delicious part was, the guy stealing my paper was a student
at a nearby "bible college".  Looks like he was learning well.

It's a bad mistake to think that us "little guys" won't use technology
against the likes of the guy who started this thread.  The big guys
probably just ignore such petty (to them) problems.  An extra dumpster
load a week is serious money to a small operation.  Plus it generally
pisses the owner off in a major way.

I'm at my cabin in the mountains right now.  I've just returned from a
trip into town to buy more video equipment and an autodialer.  When I
arrived I found that someone has stolen most of my winter's supply of
firewood.  Now the next person who trespasses will have their mug
video recorded and the digital video phoned in to my server at home.
Just in case the *ssholes see the camera and try to break in to
disable it. Then I'll have to decide whether to prosecute or handle it
the "mountain way".  I have one camera on the woodpile and one on the
driveway so I can see the car/truck and license tag.

There is now a little sign on the woodpile that says "Wood Thief:
There are several pieces of wood in this pile loaded with explosives.
I can tell the difference.  Can you?"  I've been known to carefully
lift the bark on a log, drill a 1" hole to the core, fill with a
mixture of black powder and CS teargas powder, pack the hole shut with
plastic wood and carefully glue the bark back on.  I got to see one of
these go off one night at a neighboring camp. Who I thought it was.
Spectacular!

I've also been known to catch rattlesnakes and put in the woodpile.  4
or 5 of these beauties sunning themselves is a powerful deterrent to
wood thieves.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: Making use of Dumpsters for trash disposal
Date: Mon, 03 Oct 2005 20:08:06 -0400
Message-ID: <slh3k1d2000nefk2kd8c9cpnqbn3ao0fch@4ax.com>

On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 18:40:06 GMT, "cozyhomelife" <chl@notscape.com>
wrote:

>>The problem was
>that a couple of the paint cans opened up while being tossed in.
>   -no matter where you throw away paint cans, you are supposed to take off
>the lid and let them dry out before putting them in the garbage.    Don't
>forget that the truck _mashes_ the garbage.   So the idiots that lived by my
>mother put their cans out still wet.   So here's my 78 year old mom who goes
>out and _sweeps_ her street/curb area to make it look perfect, and the
>garbage collector picks up her neighbors garbage, moves forward to my mom's
>house while mashing the garbage, and the paint runs out of the mashed cans
>and thru the truck bed (somehow) and leaves big splashes of their paint
>right in front of my mom's driveway.  I really don't get how the paint made
>it out of the truck, but the spots were there.
>      We actually dry the paint and save them for the community
>toxic/chemical free day at the fairgrounds, once a year.

I had something similar happen in my parking lot.  The truck that
empties my dumpster apparently blew a hydraulic hose while picking up
my dumpster.  He pumped out probably 20 gallons of oil onto my lot,
then left, leaving a trail of fluid to a couple other stops where the
system apparently ran out of oil.

I called the megacorp who operates the truck.  They sent some guy out
to toss around some oil-zorb and left it at that.  A colossal mess.  I
called 'em back and got some lip.  Okkkaaayyy.  Forget that.  I placed
a call to our Dumpster Deputy, er, environmental cop.  He came out,
took some pix, then wrote Megacorp a ticket that  ultimately cost them
the price of a 3rd party cleanup company plus a $1,000 fine.  Mighty
expensive lip they gave me :-)

John