TALKIN’ TRASH - My sad black city trash can has been neglected by the City of Los Angeles for years. While his friends, the blue and green trash cans, get picked up weekly, the black can gets left behind on a regular basis.
I have called 311 many times over the years and even had a supervisor look into our issue. But still, he is ignored. He is so sad. I bring him in with the others so he does not have to stay out on the busy street alone and get pushed around by cars.
The city says to call if he is missed but it takes them up to three more days to come back. That is too long for him to be alone on the mean streets of San Pedro. He gets moved by people so they can park their cars and all sorts of weird stuff gets dumped inside of him.
We put him out every week and pray together that this will be the week he will be picked up. In the last six weeks, he has been picked up two times.
He is not damaged either, he is just like the rest of the trash cans on the street. It was hard when he wasn't picked up over the Holidays. He was full of left over holiday cheer and ants made a new home on him. What a mess.
Sometimes I think about delivering him to the Council office full of his holiday cheer and rolling him into their lobby, but he is too hard to get in and out of our car.
I have even asked the city for a refund, since I am paying for services I do not receive. The City says no, I cannot get a refund. Sometimes I wonder if it is legal to charge people for services they do not receive. I will have to look into that.
Please say a prayer that our sad black trash will be picked up every week. He just wants to live a good, normal life like the rest of the trash cans on the street.
(Jennifer Marquez writes a column for San Pedro Today and blogs at grassrootsmama.com) -cw
Tags: Grassroots Mama, trash, black trash bin, San Pedro, City Hall, Los Angeles
CityWatch
Vol 10 Issue 9
Pub: Jan 31, 2012