December 29, 2008
The City of Flying Trash

P-I: "Wind-blown recycling, garbage angers Seattle residents"

Blustery winds whipped uncollected recycling and garbage through streets and alleys Monday, frustrating and infuriating residents who set it out as instructed by the city over the weekend or before going back to work.
My trash was last picked-up on December 12. It won't be picked up again until January 3. Our recycling won't be picked-up until January 9.
Jim Conchie of South Seattle said his garbage hadn't been picked up since two weeks before Christmas. He said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels should stop pushing ambitious global climate initiatives and concentrate on core city services, like garbage pickup and snow removal.

"It's time for the mayor to give up all his high-flying fantasies and get back to providing basic services," said Conchie, who lives east of Columbia City.

Conchie said the high winds had blown trash throughout his neighborhood, making it look like "a third world city."

Why insult the third world?

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at December 29, 2008 08:44 PM | Email This
Comments
1. Please take proper responsibility for your own garbage. I live in Seattle too, and my (small amount of) trash is secured, awaiting tomorrow's collection.

Looking out the window, I see clear, dry pavement. What's your excuse?

Posted by: tensor on December 29, 2008 08:55 PM
2. It's alright. Since Comrade tensor told you to eat your shit sandwich, just do it with a smile.

Posted by: Crusader on December 29, 2008 10:09 PM
3. One thing I've noticed is that Comrade tensor has endless resoivors of sympathy for welfare parasites/bums/unions, but when it comes to the rest of us hard-working taxpayers - go fuck ourselves. Nice vision of the future there.

Posted by: Crusader on December 29, 2008 10:11 PM
4. Tovarisch, Komrade!

Please pick up your own trash, and stash it in the receptacles we use for such purposes, until the collection is made. Whining about how a nanny state should help you is the height of socialism.

Posted by: tensor on December 29, 2008 10:35 PM
5. Oh dear God, quit whining. You're giving self reliant conservatives like myself a bad name.

Go clean up your trash pile and QUIT WHINING. The audacity of some of you people claiming liberals are whiners when these threads are the best you can come up with?

I eagerly await your 'Uhh..... well you're a liberal, Andrew! I couldn't think of anything else as a comeback, so I had to fall back on that LOLOL WHAT NOW'

Posted by: Andrew Brown on December 29, 2008 10:38 PM
6. My situation is similar, though I don't live in Seattle. I live in Redmond and Waste Management, a union shop, is supposed to pick up my garbage. They last picked up on 12/12 (missed two weeks). Although the mail truck gets through, the electric and cable trucks get through - heck, even the paper delivery man makes it through with his little 2-wheel drive car - the union WM drivers just can't seem to make it. And WM thinks that picking up 3 times my trash after 3 weeks is the same as picking it up every week, but it's not. I have to store my trash in bags in my garage due to coyotes, rats, etc. These guys do this every time it snows just a little. Another case of union work rules negating customer service. I wish WM had competition around here; I'd use anyone over them.

Posted by: JimmyPancakes on December 29, 2008 10:53 PM
7. I live in Seattle and am going to have to take my garbage to teh dump since it's been a month since i've had a pick up.....I pay for this and yes I supposed to get free dump access, but what is that $12.50....I pay more than that for a month. I expect to get some service for that.

Tensor, mine is all tied up to, but looks terrible. Pick it up. My roads have been fine...what no chains for garbage trucks? I understand it's a hassle, but if Mayor fatass wouuld put salt down we'd be fine. I even salted my street and walkway to keep it safe. I can't believe this is still the same place my forefathers helped build.

Posted by: Dengle on December 29, 2008 11:07 PM
8. This is beyond incredible. Taxpayers demand basic service for their tax money, and liberals tell us to go fuck ourselves. Unbelievable. Then we have so-called conservatives saying the same thing. The entire world has become perverted. It's time for a cleansing flood.

Posted by: Crusader on December 29, 2008 11:11 PM
9. Why insult the third world?

Feel free to move to Mississippi, Alabama, or any other red-state paradise. It's not the Third World, really. Just our version of it, courtesy of conservative policies in action.

Posted by: Tensor on December 29, 2008 11:15 PM
10. "It's not the Third World, really. Just [Seattle's] version of it, courtesy of conservative policies in action." ~ Tenser

What alternate universe are you living in? This State/County/City is run by Democrats from the Governor on down (and has been for 30 years), so your tired old "blame the conservative policies" line is the height of ignorance and/or a disconnect with reality.

Posted by: Rick D. on December 30, 2008 04:39 AM
11. Well, there was recently a news story about which states have been losing and gaining population recently. As I recall Utah was the biggest gainer and virtually all the states attracting new residents at high rates were red.

I think blue Michigan was the biggest loser. Tensor if you want liberalism in action, try Detroit with it's 75% dropout rate, boarded up homes, scandal-plagued government, etc.

Posted by: hank o'hare on December 30, 2008 04:42 AM
12. It truly is amazing the amount of issues that
plague us that continue to fail because of liberalism and somehow the people cannot connect the dots. I think Utah sounds great.

Posted by: mark on December 30, 2008 05:12 AM
13. The western "move to a red state phenomenon" will only last so long. Soon Utah, Idaho and Montana will be full of leftist Californians like Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Nevada. Then it's on to full-blown entitlement, tax to the hilt and queers running for the altar. They (Californians) flee to escape the destructions they've caused in their own state, then vote in the leftists that will destroy the refuge state. It's only a matter of time.

Posted by: Saltherring on December 30, 2008 05:58 AM
14. "It's time for the mayor to give up all his high-flying fantasies and get back to providing basic services"

This is not whining, it is a reasonable expectation of correct priorities and leadership. I've never understood the mindset of many in this area - criticize the leaders and get the blow back from your fellow citizens.
As, "you're whining" "you just don't understand the complexities" "crawl back under your rock" and on it goes.
Logical explanations have no effect on these people. The red state move sounds better every year. I may not like red state winters but I cannot fathom living in this liberal insanity during my retirement years.

Posted by: Sparkules on December 30, 2008 06:32 AM
15. Mayor Nickels needs to get credit for having the foresight to have this unfortunate situation come about in winter, not summer when flying garbage would have stunk more and been a far more serious problem.

Posted by: facked is on my side on December 30, 2008 06:45 AM
16. Here in North Bend, we haven't had garbage service since 12/11 & NO postal mail service since 12/22. It ain't that bad!!

Posted by: Zmac on December 30, 2008 07:03 AM
17. Let's see. The taxpayers pay for a service that is not being done for weeks now.
So they complain about the lack of it.
Tensor say's hey don't do that. 'Really'
Ok let's stop paying for the wellfare lackies and drunks and see how fast YOU start to complain.

So tensor are you going to ask the city to refund your part of the tax money that goes for this service. Bet not!

Maybe Obama will give Seattle some cash for trash service.

The next 4 years are going to damn funny.

Posted by: Medic/Vet on December 30, 2008 08:13 AM
18. Hey, Tensor: Not all of your garbage is secure. You're still posting.

Posted by: ERNurse on December 30, 2008 08:46 AM
19. You got that right, M/V!

The crybaby whining over one or two missed trash pickups already has me chuckling.

Keep up the good work!

Posted by: scottd on December 30, 2008 08:48 AM
20. We finally got our trash picked up yesterday (3 weeks). Kudos to the postal service, who lived up to the creed, and delivered in spite of the weather. Wish the online vendors would have had USPS as an option instead of UPS, which didn't deliver in time for Christmas due to an "emergency situation beyond UPS control".

Posted by: Palouse on December 30, 2008 09:04 AM
21. UPS is a joke. Fedex? No problems USPS? No problems. UPS 5 packages (3 next day air) that should have been here on the 23rd. I would use UPS in the future only if the Haitian Postal Service was the only other option and even then it would be a tough call.

Posted by: Dbltap on December 30, 2008 09:27 AM
22. When the container was full, we put our excess trash in, perish the thought, plastic cinch sacks.
Off topic comment about UPS, I also have several packages dating back to 21/11 that are not here yet!

Posted by: Fed Up on December 30, 2008 09:45 AM
23. @9
"Feel free to move to Mississippi, Alabama, or any other red-state paradise. It's not the Third World, really. Just our version of it, courtesy of conservative policies in action."

Tensor - you speak only nonsense. Alabama and Mississippi are not 'Third World' countries. What an idiot you are!!! And yes that is an ad hominem comment since you personally have insulted everyone living in the South.

Posted by: Me on December 30, 2008 09:47 AM
24. All of you who are complaining about paying for garbage service and not getting your money's worth should be happy you aren't on a septic system. Because I have the misfortune of having a sewer line installed in my street, the good folks here in Tacoma get to charge me a couple hundred dollars a year for sewer service which I physically cannot use.

Posted by: RJK on December 30, 2008 09:53 AM
25. Washington state law allows for trash companies to refuse service when in the company's judgment, providing the service would be hazardous, unsafe, or dangerous to persons or property.
Or in the company's judgment, driveways or roads are improperly constructed or maintained, do not have adequate turn arounds, or have other unsafe conditions.

Did you see UPS/Fed Ex/USPS, or other services using this law so they did not have to work, and get paid for it too. We will still be billed for uncollected garabage since the garbage companies indicates they will eventually pick it all up, what a crock!
Our libertards support this monopoly.It is time to get rid of the McCheesburger mayor, the globally concerned but locally disconnected county executive, and legally correct, but publically inept governor.
I guess we should laud their efforts for global warming though, all three have stopped it in its tracks as evidenced by all the snow and cold weather.(this is satire in case you think I am serious!)

Posted by: Our Laws in action: on December 30, 2008 10:48 AM
26. Here's an idea.

If you are having a problem with your trash (I'm not however, it is secured and "safe"), why not just put the excess trash bags in the trunk of your car and drive them to the transfer station? Do the same with your recycling. A little fast talking and they'd probably let you unload the trash for free (recycling is free).

Problem solved.

And then get on with life.

Posted by: G Jiggy on December 30, 2008 11:02 AM
27. G Jiggy, Daaa, really then get to pay for it twice, once at the transfer station for garbage and then from the grabage company too.
Why I think of this, I can get on with my life now, what a genious!

Posted by: Daa on December 30, 2008 11:11 AM
28. And I did mean grabage company since they got paid for grab aging while the snow was here.

Posted by: Daa on December 30, 2008 11:13 AM
29. Our laws in action: Can you cite the law you're referring to?

I'm interested in reading more about this.

Posted by: Andrew Brown on December 30, 2008 11:15 AM
30. WAC 480-70-366


Refusal of service.


(1) A company must not refuse service to an applicant or cancel service to a customer when there are unpaid bills from a prior customer at the same premises unless the company has objective evidence that the applicant is acting on behalf of the prior customer with the intent to avoid payment.
(2) A company may refuse service to an applicant or cancel service to a customer when:
(a) The customer has not complied with state, county, or municipal regulations concerning the service.
(b) In the company's judgment, providing the service would be hazardous, unsafe, or dangerous to persons or property.
(c) In the company's judgment, driveways or roads are improperly constructed or maintained, do not have adequate turn arounds, or have other unsafe conditions.
(d) The customer has an overdue bill from the company for the same class of service at the same or a different location, and satisfactory arrangements for payment of the overdue unpaid bill have not been made. For purposes of this rule, class of service means residential service or commercial service.
(e) The customer requests service at a location where there currently resides a former customer who has an overdue bill from the company for the same class of service at the same location, and satisfactory arrangements for payment of the overdue bill have not been made.
(f) The customer has obtained or retained service from the company by dishonest or fraudulent means, for the purpose of avoiding debts, including, but not limited to:
(i) False statement of credit references or employment;
(ii) False statement of present or prior premises address;
(iii) Use of an alias or false name; or
(iv) Rotation of service among roommates or persons living together.

Posted by: Daa on December 30, 2008 11:29 AM
31. Has any local republican politicians, candidates or party leaders ever pushed to end government forced monopolies around here? The people do not like them but unfortunately both political parties here seem to like them alot.

Posted by: lysander on December 30, 2008 11:46 AM
32.
Seattle went offline for 7 days...and no one noticed!

Posted by: John Bailo on December 30, 2008 01:19 PM
33. Don't you see what is happening here ? It's all part of an opportunity by the elected "officials" in democratic WA state.
Both Seattle City and King County in particular use this as an opportunity to came back with higher demands in a few months. The looming budget deficit is there...they will need more money...what easier way to tell the "people"...if you want more service, you have to pay for it. We don't have the money to do this or that...but sign here/pay there...and we might provide. Works all the time...

Posted by: dutch on December 30, 2008 02:30 PM
34. Daa @ 27:
Well, paying extra or not, it cures the problem. All I did was put a price on curing the problem in short order. For some it will be to much for others it won't be. You are the former.

I know if I had three weeks of stinking garbage creating a problem, 20 bucks to make the problem disappear wouldn't be to much.

Posted by: G Jiggy on December 30, 2008 03:42 PM
35. G Jiggy, okay you win, I understand not putting the responsibility on those who do not perform! Priceless!

Posted by: Daa on December 30, 2008 04:00 PM
36. You people of Seattle and King County are used to very poor political decision making. Therefore when those poor decisions have widespread negative impact you lash out at critics to "suck it up" as if it is an acceptable failing which could not have been prevented if it was not for left wing ideology bent on "by design" no city services. Services which people pay for. Not things which they get for free. If I pay for 3 hamburgers I don't want 1 1/2 hamburgers and then the rest 5 weeks later.

Fire Nickels and Sims. Throw both of their lard asses in a prison camp.

Posted by: GregNickelsIsAFatAss on December 30, 2008 07:21 PM
37. What alternate universe are you living in? This State/County/City is run by Democrats from the Governor on down (and has been for 30 years), so your tired old "blame the conservative policies" line is the height of ignorance and/or a disconnect with reality

I was mocking the original author's failed attempt to paint Seattle as less than a Third World city. I still hope that anyone disgusted with liberal Seattle's response to snow will move to the Deep South, where snow is a rarity, and red-state conservatism rules. Why are you not there already? Oh yeah, the whole quality of life thing, which is obviously higher in the blue states. (Why is that?)

Hey, Tensor: Not all of your garbage is secure. You're still posting.

Indeed, that was my comment (#6), to the previous whining post, The City of Accumulating Garbage. Stealing my joke is really creative (by your standards).

Both Seattle City and King County in particular use this as an opportunity to came back with higher demands in a few months.

Bingo. City/County bureaucrats will feel pressure to "do something," which really means "do nothing, but look busy." At our expense, they will form committees, which will formulate plans. At best, these plans will come to nothing. At worst, these plans will lead to purchase of plows and salting/sanding trucks. As I showed in previous comments, use of such vehicles in our recent storm would have contributed to the creation of black ice on our hilly streets, with higher probabilities of accidents. Buying and maintaining this equipment will cost money for many years, in anticipation of a storm which comes once a decade. All of that money and effort will be wasted, but we'll have to pay for it. No thanks!

Posted by: tensor on December 30, 2008 08:51 PM
38. "Well, paying extra or not, it cures the problem. All I did was put a price on curing the problem in short order. For some it will be to much for others it won't be. You are the former. "

I'd be happy to drop it off for free and Rabanco reimbursed me my travel. Or if Rabanco gladly credited me the 3 weeks they missed.

Posted by: Dave on December 30, 2008 09:46 PM
39. Daa @ 35:
Look Mr. Daa, I didn't say the haulers of garbage weren't guiltless, I didn't say the city of Seattle wasn't guiltless either. Both of these organizations are monopolies and they don't care because they don't have to. But letting a stinking pile of garbage pile up and breed vermin isn't going to do anything for anybody but the rats.

It's like the garbage strikes they have in New York. Garbage multiples in piles six feet high and everybody bitches about how bad it smells . . . but they do nothing about it.

If it was me faced with a pile of garbage that was ripe, I'd haul it to the dump and then call them up and tell them to not bother to send a bill. It's called a "contract of merchantability". They didn't do what they said they would and you don't have to pay. If you can drive a bag or three of it out, they sure can drive in and pick it up. It works a lot better than howling about smelly garbage.

As for me personally, we have plans around our house for dealing with inoperative services from electricity to garbage and we don't care because we don't have to.

Scroom.

Posted by: G Jiggy on December 30, 2008 11:03 PM
40. A friend sent this: (how true!!)

"Twas the week before Christmas, and next to the Sound,
Not a creature was stirring, for all were snowbound.
Greyhound busses quit running, no matter the fare,
And the mail men and garbage said they just couldn't get there!

The children were sliding Queen Anne Hill on their sleds.
While roofs were collapsing on old people's heads.
And mamma in her boots and I in my cap,
Were stuck in the snow and ice and such crap.

When at the Home Depot there arose such a clatter,
I trudged from my car to see what was the matter.
A group of sad souls were waving their cash,
They couldn't buy shovels, they'd sold in a flash.

Tires were spinning and just wouldn't go,
And chains lay broken in the dirty old snow.
Then, what to my surprise did my eyes look over and see?
Eight representatives of SDOT,

With a fat politician so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it was Mayor "Salt Nick".

More rapid than gun bans, his excuses they came,
"To save our environment the roads stay the same!
On Broadway! On Boren! On Yesler and Denny!,
To clear off these roads would cost such a penny!

Sliding down Thomas and onto a wall!
The busses hung over I-5, ready to fall!
Still, he insisted it wasn't his fault,
As the world's greenest mayor he wouldn't use SALT!

That stuff's corrosive, could hurt the fish.
(But the Puget Sound's SALT WATER you ignorant kish!)
So snowy Seattle continued to stew,
But Mayor "Salt Nick" just hadn't a clue.

While I stood there astonished, on nearby TV sets,
I saw the airport was packed, no de-icer for jets.
Since others couldn't get down the roads to the ferry,
The city decided to close Denny and Cherry.

Police cars and firetrucks were highly impaired,

Citizens got no impression that Mayor Salt Nick cared.

A house that caught fire, or a rape in progress,

Was less important than "going green" in Seattle - I guess!

An accident closed the I-90 bridge,
And people couldn't drive down Phinney Ridge.
Shovels, and salt had just flown off the shelf,
And I laughed when I heard him in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
He tried to convey we had nothing to dread;
He spoke many words, but did little work,
Yet Seattle knew they should never have elected this jerk.

Then thumbing his nose at his citizens' plight,
He turned to the crowd and exclaimed "We've done right!",
And then to his limo refusing to yield,
He left to get solar panels installed on Qwest Field.

But I heard him exclaim, as he skidded past me
"Happy Christmas to all, heck, I give myself a 'B' ".

Posted by: sue gill rose on December 31, 2008 08:29 AM
41. Excellent!!! Sue Gill, send this into the Times (or P.I. or both)! See if they have the scrotums to publish it.

Posted by: G Jiggy on December 31, 2008 09:51 AM
42. Really, this post IS an insult the third world cities. They don't have much money and many of them do the best they can with their limited resources.

Seattle has money. It's boneheaded "decisions" that have trash strewn everywhere. Worse, the arrogance of a Mayor that thinks he can solve the world's psuedo problems (like global warming) and ignores the basic functions of city government.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why there has not been a garbage truck in my neighborhood yet. Nobody knows what to do. Mayor Fatso said "help is on the way," and that garbage would be picked up Saturday and Sunday. Didn't happen. Thursday is a holiday (my neighborhood's pick-up day). Do we leave the trash out? Do we take it back inside until the following Thurs? Do we just go through it in Lake Washington? Do we keep it out there to feed the rodents?

Posted by: bananaland on December 31, 2008 12:31 PM
43. You hate this city, Stefan...why do you live here? No wonder you're always so grouchy! Why don't you move to Spokane or Yakima where more people have your sensitivities?

Posted by: Nick "Elephant" Gunn on January 1, 2009 04:14 PM
Post a comment
Name:


Email Address:


URL:


Comments:


Remember info?