It's Literally a Garbage Job
I was walking down the street today and I saw a guy dumpster diving for recyclables. It got me thinking. Maybe it's my pride, but I feel like I would never do that. There are very few types of work that I find demeaning if I had to pay the bills (I've done a quite few of them). It's one thing to be a garbage man and take out the trash. It's another to go through someone's garbage to get the refund on a 5c can deposit.
Not a Race Thing
But the more I started to think about it, the more I started to have an odd respect for the guys who dumpster dive. If you've been in NYC long enough, I'm sure you'll encounter them. It's not a race thing: I've seen white guys, black guys, Asian guys, Hispanic guys do it. I can't imagine it's that profitable (I don't care if it is tax free income).
Not Beggars
These guys aren't on the streets looking for handouts. On my walk to work, I see at least three people a day begging and its usually some combination of the same people. These beggars can often get a bit aggressive sometimes as well causing a legit safety concern. The guys doing the dumpster diving don't say a word. They just carry their giant plastic bags full of recyclables from one NYC garbage can (or sidewalk garbage bag) to the next.
Nickles and Dimes
It's not a job they apply for, no one asked them to do it, and there is no fck'n prestige. They are literally going through a unique trash bin every time for what... a dollar at best if they find twenty cans/bottles? And at worst, they go through garbage that's already been picked over and get nothing. I bet most of us on this forum would reconsider going through our own trash after lunch if there was a semi-important piece of paper we accidentally threw out.
You can tell me I'm an idiot or that there is something huge I am missing, but I don't get it and I have to say it inspires an odd sense of respect from me.
Thoughts? Either on this, or someone who inspires respect in you that might not be obvious. Not interested in profiles of celebrities, rock star finance personalities etc. (for this thread at least)
I have respect for everyone who dumpster dives to get returns on the cans they recycle, someone you might know actually did it. He was famous and you absolutely know him. His name was Steve Jobs and he walked seven miles to get a meal at a Hare Krishna temple.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=steve+jobs+stanford
who is Steve Jobs?
Ligma balls
I wonder what the IRR is on trash
Most people digging for recyclables are undocumented in one form or another. People doing this in the U.S. are pretty top-tier. I was in South Korea last week and there was a shit ton of 80+ year old people hobbling around with carts full of recyclables. They don't really have a social safety net. Dude, what's your point? The people doing this in the U.S. have kids working for the most part; they want to contribute. This isn't some noble shit they're doing. It's all they can do. Look at them and be grateful. Maybe hand them a bill and dip.
There's actually a great documentary on HBO GO about this; forget what its called but it gives good insight. They follow people around who dumpster dive and really just interview them. Pretty diverse crowd. An interesting point was that one guy (who I think was homeless), actually saw everything in terms of how much he could recycle. For example, he bought a $1 coffee, and said that's 20 cans ($0.05*20).
I also saw another one, I also forget what its called (was years ago), where they interviewed people who dumpster dived at trader joes, but it was ordinary people; they had jobs and families, but didn't like how TJ's literally threw things out that didn't sell. These people had full bags of groceries that they got out of the dumpster. For example, TJ's takes the packaged chicken, puts it in multiple bags, then in the dumpster.
The hbo one is called Redemption, its on HBO Max thanks for the recc watching it now
I remember there was a group of people who shared basically like a closet to sleep in, just would rotate between looking for cans or sleeping. Showed a good look at the underside of NYC.
Agree. You have to do what it takes to survive, but it's extremely humiliating / humbling I'm sure. Pride is the toughest of the 7 deadly sins to overcome.
Yes Lucifer fell as an Angel from pride. Then Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden due to pride.
Humility crushes pride. Satan hates it that he was beaten by a little Jewish lady named Mary.
You mean a Jewish guy named Jesus
Yes, I respect them too. I also give money to some beggars but mot the aggressive ones, mainly only the homeless ones because I feel they need it more, and sometimes really just want a chat more than money.
I tend to think we should judge a persons character based on the way he or she treats the lowest people in society/the business. I’m of the opinion to treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO or “high-flyer”.
If my date treats service workers, janitors, or people with supposed lower status badly, I won't be dating them for long.
I like this take
I carry cash in my car just for those people who sell flowers on freeway exit ramps. Always buy those. So easy to make someone’s day and support someone busting their ass trying to sell all day long.
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