The garbage man has some nerve!! Yesterday was "garbage day", and this morning there was a letter attached to our can. It said:

The automatic truck dumping system is picking up your cart and requires a few changes!

1. Keep trash cart free of all obstructions including mailboxes, telephone poles, and cars. A minimum of 4 feet is requested.

2. Place trash cart curbside with the wheels of the cart facing your house. If the cart is in the wrong position, we will place it in the correct position as an example for future pick-ups. (This one was circled AND underlined.)

3. Place all trash in cart.

4. Place curbside brush four feet from cart.

We at BFI strive to provide a quality service and than you in advance for your help. Shoul you have any questions please call (xxx) xxx-xxxx.

Here's my response to Mr. Garbageman. (Actually, I don't think there's an actual PERSON that rides on the back of the truck anymore. The letter shows a picture at the top of a BFI truck with a long, extended arm that reaches out and grabs the can, which lifts it and dumps it over the top opening of the truck. I guess the bad economy has had an effect on BFI, too.)

Dear Mr. Garbageman:

We will be more than happy to oblige your instructions if you will take our requests into consideration. As a resident of this location for 3+ years now, we are taking this golden opportunity to make a few requests of our own:

1. After emptying trash container, please return it to the location I originally left it. (i.e., So that it doesn't obstruct the driveway. Nothing's worse than backing out of the driveway, bumping into a big blue garbage can.)

2. Please do not abandon trash container lying on its side, across the sidewalk, in the middle of the street, in the sideyard, in our neighbor's yard, etc.

3. Please make sure trash container is left closed after you're through with it.

4. Please pick up any boxes or other bags not inside the trash container. That dinky trash container is not always large enough to contain all of our trash from week to week, especially when you are on holidays, or after Christmas and kids' birthdays.

Thank you for taking our requests into consideration.

Sincerely,
The Brewers

cc: President/Owner of BFI