The Cold, Filthy Truth About Garbage Men
What Garbage Men are Not
when they roll-out for a tough day's work.
- These Garbage Personnel are NOT people who talk vulgar and even curse.
- These Garbage Personnel are NOT people who dress shabbily.
- Garbage Personnel do not go out in public wearing dirty clothes.
- Garbage Personnel do NOT necessarily have job hauling topsoil.
I Suppose That The Real Beginning
has this hub at any given home in any home in America. You may have never thought of it, but at any meal, you can now. When you, the homemaker or husband, open that package of sausage, put the contents in the skillet, and toss the package into the garbage can . . .you never think about it anymore. Who would?
Now if you have children, ages two to six, they are so curious that they love to play with empty sausage packages because the kids’ imagination has told the child that the package is a 747 airliner and can fly.
Before I get heavily-involved with this piece, let me clarify my term, “Garbage Men,” which is wrong. There was a time when ONLY guys held positions of garbage men, but not anymore! The Federal Government passed strong legislation about both men and women to be given applications to see if they (both parties) have the qualifications of the job of garbage men . . .but in 2019, they are referred to as: Sanitation Engineers.
Let me be the First
to confess that I would pass as being “a duck in strange water,” simply because I have never been in this place as talking about a Garbage Man. To be completely-truthful with you, some years ago, I wrote a hub about a good friend of mine, “Tom,” who retired from working on the garbage can and every citizen of my hometown, Hamilton, Ala., loved him. His work ethic had no match for the younger guys who tried to match him in the area of stamina, but failed. For that, I have to admire him.
If I were to write a sensible beginning to this hub, I would have to start at the beginning because this is where most writers start simply because their readers have this nagging question of saying, just where in the blazes does this story start from? That is what writers, (or those I have met) like is to start something and not being responsible for the confusion of NOT having a Starting Point.
Now I want to present the Middle of this hub and the headline simply says in an honest term: The Cold, Filthy Truth About Garbage Men, and that is what “this” hub is going to be . . .honest, to-the-point, and very caring for one and all to read.
I first want to go into the persona of being a Garbage Man and share what I think about everyday and night, and this way, you will look at Garbage Men very differently . . .
Just a Sample of What Garbage Personnel Think About
1.) “Why oh why do I stay at this nasty job—with the annoying flies and containers that smell worse than a pile of manure?” “If I am a true garbage man, I can smile because I draw $23.00/hour and that makes the smelly things a lot more tolerant.”
2.) “Why does ‘Mr. Petersen,’ the supervisor want to change me from an easy route to a complex route on the outside of town?” “Good! I called my union and the union steward said to relax. Employees who are made to work on New Routes are given an Extra $10.00/hour, so Now, I am going to make $33.00/hour and buddy, I am happy as clam.”
3.) “Whewww, so hot today! I wonder if Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estezez started tjhis way?”
4.) “Hey, Charlie! When do we get morning break? We are busting our butts out here!”
5.) “You know that blond divorcee on 5th Avenue? Well, at this time of day she always comes out and tans on her front yard, so don’t you tell ‘Billy’ for him to cur around Willow Street as so I, I mean, we can get a gander at her!”
6.) “I do NOT have to put up with this stuff---I just bit bit by a Rattlesnake who was hiding in the ruined lettuce that we picked up at ‘Sancho’s Restaurant!”
7.) “Oh, heyyy, ‘Jim!’ Don’t worry about the snake bite. No. Just let us get you to the Emergency Room and get yourself a shot and our union says that you can be off a week with pay and that, my friend, is worth $28.00/extra on your check.”
8.) “Hey, what are you doing, ‘Leonard?’ When I transferred to this job, you said that I could ride in the cab where it was cool. Liar! I am filing a union grievance with this company!”
9.) “I guess you all got one big laugh when I missed the truck and had to run four blocks to catch you!”
10.) “Stop this truck right now!” “I just saw a wallet some Dilbert lost and I saw a Hundred-Dollars or so in the thing, so it’s mine. All mine! Now I have $364.50. Not bad for a day’s work.”
These thoughts are not necessarily those of any garbage collecting firm, truck, employees, or those of the same with land-bill parties. These disclaimers are also those of the staff, management of HubPages and members.
April 7, 2019_____________________________________________
© 2019 Kenneth Avery
