Residents need to step up to the plate
To the editor:
This is in response to the letters that have been printed lately about Pay As You Throw (PAYT) and your local sanitation workers. Has anyone stopped your local sanitation worker and said “thank you, you are doing a good job or have a nice day”?
The job that these men do now has changed considerably. It was not their choice to implement these changes, but they seem to catch the brunt of the complaints and criticism. Their job is not easy. They are out there Monday thru Friday, starting at 7 a.m., picking up garbage in all kinds of weather conditions. Close calls of being hit by oncoming traffic are an everyday occurrence.
They have been chased down by angry residents because bags that were not tied were left behind. They were also criticized because they did not pick up garbage strewn around by animals tearing open unattended trash bags. Residents need to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their own trash and clean up the mess. As for recycling bags being placed in the back of the truck, a quick check will show that they are placed there as a temporary solution to be later put in another area of the truck before the garbage is compacted (usually when they are out of the way of heavy traffic).
The sanitation workers did not put this program into play. If you are unhappy with this program, take it up with your town manager. The sanitation workers are only following the guidelines given to them by their employers. If you have a question, by all means ask them but common courtesy is the key here. Being rude or nasty is not going to solve the problem. There are reasons why certain rules have to be followed. Check out what your responsibilities are and follow through with them. This will help make garbage collection easier for all concerned.
Heidi MacFarline
Presque Isle
