Local News

Workers Don't Talk Trash; They Pick It Up

Posted 2006-08-03T22:51:32+00:00 - Updated 1999-08-02T11:00:00+00:00

It is one thing to have to work every day in the heat. It is another thing to have absolutely no shade and be subjected to some of the nastiest aromas known to mankind.

It's one of the toughest jobs in the heat you can imagine, and some workers love every minute of it. "What we try to do is get out early in the morning and go ahead and get it over with kind of quick."

You would be hard pressed to keep up with the "titans of trash." They want to clean up and move on.

They've seen all kinds of weather, from snow and ice to 100-degree heat.

On an average day, they will hoist and haul eight tons of garbage. It is potent, pungent and sometimes putrid. "I probably can't say what it smells like on camera. If the smell can keep down, you can make it."

To make it, they down plenty of water and sports drinks. "That's about all you can do about this heat now. It gets pretty rough out here, but that's all part of the job."

Given the choice between extremes, July and January, the heavy haulers say it is a no-brainer. "You can always find a way to get warm, but it's hard to cool off."

By watching them run around, you may think they are absolutely crazy, but there is a method to the running madness.

When they finish their route, they are done for the day whether it be noon or 5 p.m.

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