Paying By The Rules For Garbage Pick Up

The local municipality now has a "real" garbage truck! This new venture has everyone talking. Residents who wish to obtain the services of the garbage truck will need to purchase a contract. For a fee, you are given special  plastic garbage bags and guaranteed a weekly curbside pick up. By sight of the special bag, the garbage men will know which households have paid for their services. As with any new venture, the kinks need to be worked out. Without any advance notice, the rules or should I say the color of the bag is changed. With every change a new contract is issued and payment is required; making the old contract void and non-refundable!

It has been over a week since our garbage has been picked up. In this climate, baking garbage can be pretty offensive! Daily, we are waiting for the truck. Another week will pass before we spot the truck on our street! My husband Jim runs outside to stop the driver. With few words and lots of hand gestures, he is able to get his point across that we would like our garbage taken away. The man gets out of the truck and asks for a "propina" (tip). Jim tells him that we have a contract and that this is his job. The man yells back, in English, I want money for garbage! I am now standing by the window watching as the verbal exchanges quickly turn into a shouting match. At the back of the truck, there are 2 more garbage men. One is holding a plastic bag in his hands and waving it from side to side like a matador as the other pretends to be the bull! An appropriate and comical enactment of what is going on at the front of the truck! Abruptly, the man shouting at Jim, stomps off and returns with a plastic bag. With great drama, he shakes the bag open for Jim to see that the "new bags" now have the company's name printed on them! Defeated by the bag change, Jim pays to have the garbage picked up............

La Senora