The Inconvenience of Convenience
The City of Vancouver recently introduced new garbage cans and automated pickup. The new garbage trucks have a robotic arm that grabs the can and dumps the contents into the truck. The trucks now have just a driver and no one needs to break their back lifting heavy containers. Residents also get a single trash can that’s on wheels that’s also easier to move than most people’s old containers.
It sounds and looks great. So, why hasn’t our garbage been picked up for the last two weeks?
It turns out that the city neglected to consider the problem of “fronts”. A “front” describes our house which has no back alley and where garbage is placed at street-side at the front of the house. Our house has no driveway and other people’s cars are constantly parked out front, frequently blocking access to the garbage can. The truck driver apparently didn’t want to be troubled by this and opted to drive on instead of moving the container himself. That left me calling the city and asking what I needed to do to have my trash collected. The customer service reps I spoke with had no idea.
So, the night before the last pickup day, we tried placing the can on the street and taking up a parking space. That idea was short lived, though, as a dedicated parker moved it back onto the curb to make room for his car.
Today, a superintendent paid me a visit. He acknowledged that this was a widespread problem and, on top of that, we had an ornery driver who had received numerous complaints. In the end, the solution was simple. He asked us to place the can on a blocked off driveway two doors down. Still inconvenient for us, but I don’t mind helping out the drivers a little and I like having our trash collected a lot.
Perhaps I’m too sympathetic. I am still miffed that this “automation” has caused much more work for everyone involved.
Why did it happen? Because they only automated one tiny part of the process. That sounds like the topic of a new post.
January 28th, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Not to nit-pick, but I think its a bit of a hyperbole to say that its caused more work for everyone involved. You just happen to be one of the few Vancouverites who got the short stick on what is a big improvement for everyone else…
January 28th, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Hi KAF and welcome to my blog.
Of course, not every Vancouverite is affected by this change. My comment pertained more to the players in this scenario – me, the driver, his management, and the city’s call centre reps.
Besides, it’s my blog and I can throw in a little hyperbole here and there if I want.
January 29th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I haven’t seen any improvement, because we’re still waiting for this “automation” – our duplex-partner/upstair neighbour had his garbage can run over and destroyed and decided, since we’re getting new garbage cans in “a month or two” that we could share our garbage can. This was last June. He creates way more garbage than we do, and frequently fills the can (our can) before we can put our little bit of garbage in.
It’s been a year since the city said they’d be automating everyone and we’re still waiting. We can’t wait to see what’s going to happen in our lane, which has no level areas, lots of trees and lots of people who park along the lane.
So, is the dragging the can to the driveway two doors down working? (and homeowners *pay* for this privilege?!)
January 29th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
Our previous downstairs tenant was also a huge garbage producer. I hate that.
If the parking in the lane blocks the garbage cans, you’ll have the same problem we do/did. Good luck to ya.
Next garbage pickup is Wednesday and I can report if the new plan works then.
January 30th, 2006 at 7:40 am
I’m guessing your next post will be something along the lines of “Who would steal a garbage can?”. Good luck with your garbage stroll. At least if the animals get into it the mess won’t be in front of your house.
In the 5+ years of living in average-size US cities with this “automated” service, we’ve always had a driveway that we could at least count on being free of cars.
February 2nd, 2006 at 9:55 pm
I am happy to report that it worked. That is all.
February 7th, 2006 at 12:17 am
BS”D
This is bad, man. First, a whole bunch of garbage collectors are out of work. Second, with only one guy – the driver – in the truck with limited vision, kids & homeless people are at greater risk of injury. Third, seniors, the disabled & others unable to handle to new, heavier cans cannot put out their own garbage without help. Fourth, of all the things that the city could have spent these millions of dollars on, there a re a few items on the list which should have taken precedent.
So there.
& their short-sightedness about “fronts” when so many of our inhabitants live as you do is bizarre. I feel so bad for you guys.