The general decline in standards today

[LizzieMaine]

I get take out from fast food places just about every day for lunch. There is one particular place nearby that has great black plastic forks that they put out for their customers. Every time I go there I always grab a few extra forks for all those times when I go to other places that provide less than stellar forkage, or ever worse, sporks. I see nothing wrong with it, as I am a good customer there and give them my business on average about twice a week.

The question is, how much do those forks cost the establishment, and do they factor the cost into the overall cost of the products they sell?

We have a problem here with people who take two cups when they serve themselves a single cup of coffee -- our coffee counter is self service, you pay at the register and then step over and fill the cup yourself. The cups cost us 20 cents apiece, and the coffee itself sells for two dollars. So when a customer takes an extra cup -- "because the coffee's so hot" -- it cuts quite a bit into our markup. We could mark our coffee up to $2.50, but people complain enough at $2, even though they'll willingly pay $5 for *the exact same blend* at the hipster coffee joint down the street. There's something about people that makes them whine about theatre concession prices even though they're getting raked far more deeply by so-called "high end" establishments.

You've never known how petty, grabby, whiny, and overentitled people can be until you're in the business of selling them snacks.

And the people who sneak in their own snacks? We make most of our money off concessions, so it isn't exaggerating to say that such freeloading weasels are stealing food right off my table. When I catch them, I throw them out.

 

[sheeplady]

I fail to see how any of this is stealing.
The ketchup is put out there to be taken as needed. As long as you are a paying customer, and there are no posted limits on what you can take, take what you need.
I believe anything discarded as trash is free for the taking.
How can smuggling food that's part of your free lunch be stealing? It's yours. It was given to you. Who cares if you eat it now or later?

Businesses figure out how much to charge for their meals based upon their costs. Some people will use ketchup on their meal and some won't. We all pay a little bit for that ketchup in our meal charge. However, that ketchup is intended to be used for that food from that establishment. When people take more than a reasonable amount purposefully to use at home rather than purchasing their own ketchup, they are abusing that intent. Essentially, it is not only stealing from the establishment (who loses the ketchup) but also from every person who eats there and takes only what they need (because all customers are charged more for their meals.) It's take what you need for your meal, not take what you need for the next month. So, yes, it is stealing if you're grabbing ketchup to eat on your homemade hotdog you're going to eat later at home. If you're hungry, however, go for taking some ketchup if that's all you're going to eat that day.

Many places have laws against dumpster diving. At least as many businesses do as well. Most businesses now lock their bins to prevent individuals from diving. The food that is in a dumpster or garbage can belongs to whomever put in their dumpster. Ever notice that dumpsters often have the name of the institution on them? That's because they own that receptacle and the garbage in it. Just because it is being thrown away doesn't change its ownership until the trash person comes and takes it. If a person has a problem with someone digging through their trash in their own receptacle, they have that right, because that's their garbage. That said, I have no problems with people dumpster diving and think that people who are possessive over their garbage are stupid.

My school had the policy that students who received free or reduced priced lunches weren't allowed to share their lunch or allowed to take lunch out of the lunchroom. You also would have your lunch taken away from you if you had other food. The idea was that you were only allowed a free lunch because you were needy and they didn't want students gaming the system, selling their food, or sharing their food with others. I thought this was stupid then and even more stupid now.

 

[vintageTink]

V.C., your acquaintance needs a slap upside the head.

Lizzie, I agree. I don't buy concessions when I'm foregoing sugar; I'll get nuts or beef jerky if they carry it. I've been to the theater twice in the last five years because really modern movies really are nothing I want to see.

 

[vintageTink]

Double post.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The reason why some cities have banned dumpster diving is because the recyclables are a source of revenue, however small, for the city.

 

[sheeplady]

The reason why some cities have banned dumpster diving is because the recyclables are a source of revenue, however small, for the city.

You can also get arrested for going through a private citizen's trash. A mayor of a nearby town was arrested for going through people's curbside trash to collect recyclables. (He was collecting cans and bottles with a deposit for his own use.) People were really really upset he was going through their trash. I think the fact that he had a public position only made them more angry. They interviewed some of them on TV. Apparently if you really want to p*ss somebody off, rifle through their trash.

 

[jamespowers]

You can also get arrested for going through a private citizen's trash. A mayor of a nearby town was arrested for going through people's curbside trash to collect recyclables. (He was collecting cans and bottles with a deposit for his own use.) People were really really upset he was going through their trash. I think the fact that he had a public position only made them more angry. They interviewed some of them on TV. Apparently if you really want to p*ss somebody off, rifle through their trash.

Well yeah, because of rampant identity theft. Then again, you should never throw anything away with your name on it or any personal information on it. I burn all my personal mail and even some of the junk mail when I am done with it. You can't be too careful now with the decline in standards and mores of people nowadays.

 

[vintageTink]

I never put personal information in my trash.

Maybe people who don't want others to take what belongs to them are just greedy. /sarc

 

[LizzieMaine]

Anybody who wants my trash is welcome to come and get it. We don't have municipal pick-up here, and I never have time to go to the dump.

Of course, if they want to dig thru it, they better like bagged-up cat poop. That's pretty much the only thing I actually throw away.

 

[ButteMT61]

You can also get arrested for going through a private citizen's trash. A mayor of a nearby town was arrested for going through people's curbside trash to collect recyclables. (He was collecting cans and bottles with a deposit for his own use.) People were really really upset he was going through their trash. I think the fact that he had a public position only made them more angry. They interviewed some of them on TV. Apparently if you really want to p*ss somebody off, rifle through their trash.

We don't put ours on the street until I hear the trucks.
1) The noise they make from midnight to the pickup is unbearable.
2) They leave a mess on the ground.
3) It's my trash. Keep the hell out of it.
4) Repeat 1-3. It's one of the most annoying things we deal with. We now just call the cops as request a car to move them along. I've never seen anyone arrested. Too bad for that.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The same hoarder neighbour suffered a small stroke several years ago and was staying with his daughter while recovering. Meanwhile the daughter and son-in-law hired a big dumpster and was cleaning up his house where they tossed out tons of junk. What also got tossed out inadvertently was $3,000 in cash that was in a paper bag! The daughter said that she had repeatedly asked her dad to come with them and point out what he wanted to keep but he refused. lol

 

[Guttersnipe]

You've never known how petty, grabby, whiny, and over-entitled people can be until you're in the business of selling them snacks.

. . . or making their sandwiches at a sub shop.

 

[Virginia Creeper]

You can also get arrested for going through a private citizen's trash. A mayor of a nearby town was arrested for going through people's curbside trash to collect recyclables. (He was collecting cans and bottles with a deposit for his own use.) People were really really upset he was going through their trash. I think the fact that he had a public position only made them more angry. They interviewed some of them on TV. Apparently if you really want to p*ss somebody off, rifle through their trash.

Are recyclables not typically separated out before collection?

 

[1961MJS]

Are recyclables not typically separated out before collection?

Depends on what city you're in. The free parts of America are allowed to determine whether or not they would like to separate recyclables out of their trash. In many cases, it's not worth your time and money. In fact, a place that I lived in years ago charged you roughly $5 a week to take your separated recyclables. Then they made money on the raw materials.

In a few cities, you can get fined if you don't separate the aluminum, glass, and newspapers out into a separate bin. Several cities have attempted to force recycling and gotten it shut down. If someone besides a city worker, especially Law Enforcement, goes in and grabs you cans it probably wouldn't have been reported.

Before I moved into the apartment, I kept the beer cans the took them in when I got a full garbage bag full. I've gotten as much as $7 for a bag. There's no money in iron, glass, or newspaper. If recycling any of those things is in any way annoying it's a little silly to expect someone to put forth much effort to do it. When I lived in Decatur AL, I recycled, but it didn't cost any more than your regular trash pickup. When I moved to Kansas and they wanted an extra $15 per bill (don't remember if that was a month or what) to recycle, I actually laughed at them.

rant mode off

 

[jamespowers]

I never put personal information in my trash.

Maybe people who don't want others to take what belongs to them are just greedy. /sarc

lol lol

 

[jamespowers]

The same hoarder neighbour suffered a small stroke several years ago and was staying with his daughter while recovering. Meanwhile the daughter and son-in-law hired a big dumpster and was cleaning up his house where they tossed out tons of junk. What also got tossed out inadvertently was $3,000 in cash that was in a paper bag! The daughter said that she had repeatedly asked her dad to come with them and point out what he wanted to keep but he refused. lol

Where was this garbage dump now?

 

[jamespowers]

Depends on what city you're in. The free parts of America are allowed to determine whether or not they would like to separate recyclables out of their trash. In many cases, it's not worth your time and money. In fact, a place that I lived in years ago charged you roughly $5 a week to take your separated recyclables. Then they made money on the raw materials.

In a few cities, you can get fined if you don't separate the aluminum, glass, and newspapers out into a separate bin. Several cities have attempted to force recycling and gotten it shut down. If someone besides a city worker, especially Law Enforcement, goes in and grabs you cans it probably wouldn't have been reported.

Before I moved into the apartment, I kept the beer cans the took them in when I got a full garbage bag full. I've gotten as much as $7 for a bag. There's no money in iron, glass, or newspaper. If recycling any of those things is in any way annoying it's a little silly to expect someone to put forth much effort to do it. When I lived in Decatur AL, I recycled, but it didn't cost any more than your regular trash pickup. When I moved to Kansas and they wanted an extra $15 per bill (don't remember if that was a month or what) to recycle, I actually laughed at them.

rant mode off

The morons out here are trying to make you sort it. It makes absolutely no sense though as the garbage company sorts the trash themselves to make as much money as they can out of it. They have some huge machine that sorts the stuff. If they think that they are going to get me to do their job----forgetaboutit.

 

[LizzieMaine]

We've had a container-deposit law here for 35 years now, meaning every beverage container except for milk bottles has to carry a refundable deposit -- water, soda, beer, wine, "juice drinks", "sports drinks" and liquor. With this law being in place for so long, everybody who lives here knows the value of a bottle or a can, and there's very little roadside litter. But people from away don't always realize what they're doing, and we have at least three people here in town who support themselves entirely thru raiding municipal garbage cans for empties. Nobody begrudges them that, as long as they don't throw the rest of the trash on the sidewalk when they dig.

I give all my empties to the high school, the Girl Scouts, or whoever else is having a bottle drive fundraiser when my porch gets full.

 

[Virginia Creeper]

Depends on what city you're in. The free parts of America are allowed to determine whether or not they would like to separate recyclables out of their trash. In many cases, it's not worth your time and money. In fact, a place that I lived in years ago charged you roughly $5 a week to take your separated recyclables. Then they made money on the raw materials.

In a few cities, you can get fined if you don't separate the aluminum, glass, and newspapers out into a separate bin. Several cities have attempted to force recycling and gotten it shut down. If someone besides a city worker, especially Law Enforcement, goes in and grabs you cans it probably wouldn't have been reported.

Before I moved into the apartment, I kept the beer cans the took them in when I got a full garbage bag full. I've gotten as much as $7 for a bag. There's no money in iron, glass, or newspaper. If recycling any of those things is in any way annoying it's a little silly to expect someone to put forth much effort to do it. When I lived in Decatur AL, I recycled, but it didn't cost any more than your regular trash pickup. When I moved to Kansas and they wanted an extra $15 per bill (don't remember if that was a month or what) to recycle, I actually laughed at them.

rant mode off

Interesting. Everywhere I've lived, recycling has been sorted into two bins (one for metals and plastics, one for paper goods). Most places I've lived have also had a separate collection system for food waste and organic materials. There are also pickup days for yard waste.

I've never had to pay for garbage collection, although I know of a few communities around here that charge for trash tags. I've had the fortune to live in areas where my garbage pickup was just a municipal service, though.

 

[jamespowers]

Interesting. Everywhere I've lived, recycling has been sorted into two bins (one for metals and plastics, one for paper goods). Most places I've lived have also had a separate collection system for food waste and organic materials. There are also pickup days for yard waste.

I've never had to pay for garbage collection, although I know of a few communities around here that charge for trash tags. I've had the fortune to live in areas where my garbage pickup was just a municipal service, though.

You pay for it. You just don't pay directly.
One area of my city sticks it on the property tax. Nice of them.....