NewYork's Dirtiest: Stinkin' Sanitation Cops
According to the NY Post, Fort Greene homeowners are getting smacked by sanitation cops with $100 “dirty sidewalk” fines for s couple of slips of paper. We had our own run-in in South Williamsburg with a real gem of a sanitation cop last year when a neighbor from two doors down started hurling bags of…
According to the NY Post, Fort Greene homeowners are getting smacked by sanitation cops with $100 “dirty sidewalk” fines for s couple of slips of paper. We had our own run-in in South Williamsburg with a real gem of a sanitation cop last year when a neighbor from two doors down started hurling bags of garbage at our front door, mistakenly under the impression that we had been putting our household garbage in his cans. Mrs. B, baby in arms, stepped outside to confront the guy just as a sanitation cop pulled up. As the large man was screaming in her face menacingly, the cop, rather than try to do anything to physically protect her, starting writing her a ticket for the garbage on our stoop. After the neighbor finally backed off, Mrs. B asked for the sanitation cop’s name to act as a witness if she decided to file assault charges. The cop just shrugged his shoulders and said, “I didn’t see nuthin’.” And with that drove off.
Any other stories about run-ins with the sanitation cops?
City Play Dirty with Tix [NY Post]
Large garbage cans help if you have problems with people tearing open your garbage since there’s more room to sift through it without everything being tossed on the ground.
Once you make initial contact with your garbage guy and let him know you’ll be waiting for him around Christmas time, he’ll show up. You should introduce yourself one night when you hear the truck outside.
There’s nothing wrong or illegal about tipping folks who provide good service. It’s chump change compared to the taxes you pay which go up the chimney anyways.
I’ve had the same garbage guys for years, and have no regrets tipping them.
Another poster pointed out that the garbage men aren’t the same folks who give tickets, but I believe they often work in cahoots. I’ve rarely received garbage violations since I started tipping. My guess is that garbage men often notify sanitation police who then write tickets.
A slap on the back doesn’t go nearly as far as a couple crisp fifty dollar bills.
Anyone have any tips to deal with people going through your garbarge? Every time I put mine out I wake up to find the bags opened and garbage strewn all over the sidewalk. I’m not always home to put it out in time for the morning collection.
I’ve always wanted to tip the garbage collectors, but they normally collect on my block between 3-5AM. To those of you who tip them, how do you do it? Pull an all-nighter waiting for them to come? Is there another way? Thanks!
My first instinct was to think, “yeah, those lousy garbagemen”. But I thought about how, when we have lots of trash for any reason, they let me throw bags in the hopper myself if I exceed the limit. We (my wife and I) and my neighbors do pick up litter in front as we come and go. The collectors usually return my receptacle to my areaway. I did once receive a warning to not to mix recyclables in the trash, without being fined.
You’ve got to remember: there are different crews working different routes. I’m sure there are bad guys out there. But there are good guys too.
New York is full of people who litter, recycle carelessly, leave dog poop, and dump illegally. That’s why the city is filthy.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Are people confusing sanitation pickup guys with sanitation police/enforcers?
I don’t think the guys that pick up/or refuse to pick up that you are tipping write the tix.
Next to crime and noise, I agree that litter is one of my biggest issues with NYC. The beauty of this city is often marred by the garbage in the streets.
I’ve never tipped the sanitation guys with anything more than a big “hello” or friendly wave or polite inquiry into how their day is going for them. They seem to appreciate being regarded as human beings and my usual reward is simple, good service. Do they do a perfect job all the time? Of course not! Who does?
These guys have the nastiest, thankless job that most of us would never, ever even consider doing. But just because they deal with our garbage doesn’t mean we have to treat them like garbage. Instead of giving them your unbagged dog poop and shop vac refuse, why don’t you “try a little tenderness” sometimes? It works.
I’ve been tipping the sanitation guys on Christmas for years, and there’s no question the $100 goes a long way. I have a multifamily building and since I started tipping, I haven’t received a single garbage violation, so it’s definitely an economically smart choice.
The single biggest sanitation problem I see is that garbage is not picked up on holidays, so every holiday, the streets are jam packed with trash cans and bags. What’s the big deal with paying some guys extra to work on holidays? Also, during the winter, the city should find a way to pick up garbage even when there’s a lot of snow. Taxis never disappear. Why do the garbage trucks?
The biggest quality of life problem I see with NYC is not drugs or crime, but dirty, littered streets and parks. Just because NYC is so large why does it have to be so filthy? Where the hell do all the taxes go? Why are cities like Boston and Chicago so much cleaner?