Can, bottle poachers create unease

Not sure why the city (Torrance) thinks they are losing money when citizens bring bottles and cans to the recycling center themselves. Don't the cans belong to the citizen?

"Poaching"....come on now, be serious. What a way to diminish the seriousness of real poachers who prey on elephants for their ivory, or gorillas, etc.

This is trash we are talking about!

the title says it all

I'm tired of people going through my trash. They leave a mess on the sidewalk and confiscate the recyclables that I'm willing to donate to the city in which I live! When leaving the recycle bins in the driveway till morning, I've caught individuals walking up my driveway to access them! Even more appalling...my wife witnessed one lady taking a dump on the parkway down the street. We need to do something to rid our neighborhoods of such low-lifes!!!!

Wasn't there a recent crime article where DNA was recovered from a coffee cup that was left for trash? The court ruled that items left for trash aren't considered private property any more and are public domain.

But yes, it's good that the law prevents the rich and poor alike from digging through trash, sleeping under bridges and such. The obvious answer to poverty is to make it illegal and legislate it away.

This has been going on ever since cities started recycling. My advice is not to confront anyone looking through your recycling bins. I have seen a trash truck driver confront someone and he was threatened with a knife. That was about 15 years ago...I can only imagine what might happen now.

I have no problem with this because I shred all of my documents.

It highlights the difference between the rich and the poor. Rich people are throwing away free money; it's like throwing away a nickel for every bottle/can. How can you expect poorer people to not pick up free money off the street?

Well, taking the blue bin out @ the time that the Recycling truck is scheduled to come will not work for some people. Some people don't have the weekly time schedule for Western Waste. Also some of us still need to concentrate in getting ready to beat the AM traffic. One time I took my blue bin out at the time that it was not scheduled & I when I went to p/u the bin all the worth recycles when emptied out. The only stuff left behind was the stuff that wasn't worth $ to the trash digger.

You could make someone present ID and address verification and check would be mailed to them, but would you rather have the homeless (1) digging through trash, (2) begging, or (3) stealing items that actually have value.

I recently observed an elderly woman going thru the dumpster in the apt building next to me, after finding her goods she walked into the street and waved, a fairly new car pulled up took her bag of goods, handed her another bag and took off. The woman driving was much younger, are we putting our elderly at risk???
What a sad state we are in....

Torrance Mom wrote:

he was threatened with a knife. That was about 15 years ago...I can only imagine what might happen now.

Oh Dear, there's NO HOPE, things are really going to pieces.. What a CROCK.

Trash collection is one of the favorite businesses of Organized Crime. I don't care who picks it up as long as it is disposed in the most environmentally concious manner.

What is next? Sewer covers ?

All you need are locks to keep the container closed, if its broken into then its theft.......Thanks

My daughter is going on a trip to Europe with her high school class this spring. We didn't have enough money to pay for it. She has been collecting bottles and cans from us and a few neighbors (with their permission) In 8 months she has collected close to $1300.00. She has
a summer job also and is on schedule to have the trip paid for in full by January.

It just seems wrong that anyone would be going through your trash cans.

when a stranger enters your block, they are looking for more than nickle cans, they are looking to see who is home and how isn't. If times are "tough" now and a nickle can is precious, wait until they figure out when you're at work and then start going through your bedroom drawers.

Call the city enforcement patrol everytime you see one of these folks. Confront them with your baseball bat in hand and tell them to get the F*@< out of your neighborhood.

I can see looking through those black trash bins looking for something recyclable. But only going straight to the recycle bins is kind of like cheating.(Is that not city property at the point you put the bins in the street?) I want that money to go to the city/community - that's why I do it. Someone comes by every week to do their rounds of blue bins, and of course they leave a mess or don't put the bins back in a position to where the truck can pick them up.

aahhhh yes, how i miss the homeless individual, with his lone shopping cart, floatin thru the hood and roaming the streets.

Eagle Eye in LB wrote:

when a stranger enters your block, they are looking for more than nickle cans, they are looking to see who is home and how isn't. If times are "tough" now and a nickle can is precious, wait until they figure out when you're at work and then start going through your bedroom drawers.
Call the city enforcement patrol everytime you see one of these folks. Confront them with your baseball bat in hand and tell them to get the F*@< out of your neighborhood.

This is so true. This is something to fear about. What else can they think about other that diving for bottles & cans? This I truly believe is the next step after dumpster diving. The only thing we can do is keep our windows & doors lock & feel imprisonment in your own home.

All I can say is that I live in an Apartment and we have private parking for tenants only, an unfortunately my Window is by the trash bin area. I have been woken up at 2:00am, sometimes 5am, like this morning to these stupid people in there nasty loud trucks they keep running, and they slash open the garbage bags making a mess etc...and throwing bottles in these buckets making a lot of noise etc...Not only the noise but the fact they slash all that nasty trash open that smells, attracts flies. This guy this morning had his baby in the car while he dug through trash and the baby was crying, and crying,
I was so mad because a week or so ago the same man showed up around 5am woke me up because he was screaming and yelling at someone on his cell phone while he stood between two trash bins. He was sooooo loud screaming in spanish regarding the water bottles. IT's getting out of hand at this point....

Buggin wrote:

All I can say is that I live in an Apartment and we have private parking for tenants only, an unfortunately my Window is by the trash bin area. I have been woken up at 2:00am, sometimes 5am, like this morning to these stupid people in there nasty loud trucks they keep running, and they slash open the garbage bags making a mess etc...and throwing bottles in these buckets making a lot of noise etc...Not only the noise but the fact they slash all that nasty trash open that smells, attracts flies. This guy this morning had his baby in the car while he dug through trash and the baby was crying, and crying,
I was so mad because a week or so ago the same man showed up around 5am woke me up because he was screaming and yelling at someone on his cell phone while he stood between two trash bins. He was sooooo loud screaming in spanish regarding the water bottles. IT's getting out of hand at this point....

I feel for you. A similar incident happen to me on Saturday night. I live in a 13 unit security condo.
The neighbor had a guest over who owns a motorcyle. This guest was about to leave around after 1 AM in his motorcyle. He started his motorcyle (that thing was so loud I thought I was having a heart attack). He started his motorcyle & just stood outside talking to my neighbor. I looked out the window & told them that it's 1am & your bike is really loud. Thank God he got the message & had the courtesy to turn it off. When he did leave within 5 minutes, he walked the bike out of the complex & then started it.