Seattle is going through your trash . . .

[Solomon]

You are correct. Its about excess food in the trash and not in the compost bin (where it belongs) however my complaint still stands. I throw away my coffee grounds and do not expect someone looking through my trash to be fucking with me about it.

But they do allow up to 10% of someone's trash to be food. If you think about it, I don't think most people's "food to trash" ratio is over 10%.

Okay, I get what you're saying - you don't think it's right for someone to be going through your trash - regardless of the reason. So it sounds like a privacy issue for you (and I wouldn't disagree)

But let me ask...if there was some hi-tech scanner that did it automatically and then just billed you every month for the any overage, would that be a better or worse solution?

 

[CarolKing]

People could forgo trash pick up and take your garbage to the dump. Do the folks at the dump go through your garbage too? I figured it would be a matter of time before we had the garbage police. Washington has been on the forefront of recycling. It's a good thing but a pain in the ass.

 

[t-dub]

But let me ask...if there was some hi-tech scanner that did it automatically and then just billed you every month for the any overage, would that be a better or worse solution?

Lets just say that if my garbage company started doing that, I would immediately cancel my service and go with their competitor who doesn't. I should point out that we don't have the compost bins down here so we don't use them. I do not compost because I don't garden and I'm immune challenged so I don't need all kinds of rotting crap around my house. The point you are missing is this. What happens when they scan your garbage for other things that might indicate there is a "problem" with your behavior? Where does it end? Because I can guarantee you this is just the beginning.

 

[Vicki]

Lets just say that if my garbage company started doing that, I would immediately cancel my service and go with their competitor who doesn't. I should point out that we don't have the compost bins down here so we don't use them. I do not compost because I don't garden and I'm immune challenged so I don't need all kinds of rotting crap around my house. The point you are missing is this. What happens when they scan your garbage for other things that might indicate there is a "problem" with your behavior? Where does it end? Because I can guarantee you this is just the beginning.

Exactly! If they take our privacy, what do we have left? Just our own thoughts will be private now, and nothing else?

 

[djonkoman]

Lets just say that if my garbage company started doing that, I would immediately cancel my service and go with their competitor who doesn't. I should point out that we don't have the compost bins down here so we don't use them. I do not compost because I don't garden and I'm immune challenged so I don't need all kinds of rotting crap around my house. The point you are missing is this. What happens when they scan your garbage for other things that might indicate there is a "problem" with your behavior? Where does it end? Because I can guarantee you this is just the beginning.

wait.... garbage competitors?
ok, now I'm curious how garbagepickup is in the US. here it's the municipality's responsibility, and I think they hire a company to do it for them. so maybe if I manage to be elected into the municipal government I would be able to hire a competitor, but no realistic/easy way.

 

[t-dub]

wait.... garbage competitors?

Yes. There are competing solutions for my trash and recycling needs. Ultimately I can take care of it myself by going to the dump/recycling center and paying the fees but that would be needlessly expensive and inconvenient.

 

[Solomon]

People could forgo trash pick up and take your garbage to the dump. Do the folks at the dump go through your garbage too? I figured it would be a matter of time before we had the garbage police. Washington has been on the forefront of recycling. It's a good thing but a pain in the ass.

No, but our dump has 4 bins for specific things, a crusher for certain things, a special area for biohazards, another zone for poisons and paints, and an entire pavilion for nothing but electronics. So while they don't actually go through your stuff, they have people there monitoring everything you dump - oh, and you have to show photo ID with a county address and sign an affidavit that you are - in fact - a resident.

Privacy? I don't think you can have any real privacy unless you live in some very remote area.