Confessions of a Renegade Recycler
I clicked on it. Up came dozens of pictures of scantily-clad nubile young women offering their services, which did not seem to have anything to do with garbage pickup. “Get laid tonight in Pleasanton!” is an example of what they were offering.
I could not dally here. I had research to do. I clicked the Arcata Garbage “Home” link and lo, up came someone called Lady Sonia, who was obviously proud of her body and was not ashamed to explicitly show it in its natural state. She even wrote a little essay about it: “Today while at school I could not help but lift my dress and touch my wet (synonym for “cat”). The new office assistant is a young man from the university. These young assistants have the biggest (nickname for “Richard”) and they sure know how to use it.”
Although the site seemed aptly named, I couldn’t find anything on it relating to Arcata Garbage. I mentioned this oddity to my son, who is 24. “It sounds like it’s been hijacked, Dad,” was his opinion. I had never heard of this, but then, when it comes to computer and Internet skills, he’s at the level of quantum physics while I’m at Dick and Jane, book two, introducing Spot and Puff.
I did some more research. Apparently hijacking Web sites is getting to be pretty common, a sort of identify theft. I went to Arcata Garbage and told them their Web site had been hijacked. They said they didn’t have a Web site so it couldn’t have been hijacked.
Now I’m even more confused, but at least I can state for the record that Arcata Garbage is the victim here, has nothing to do with peddling sex, and if you sign up for membership with Lady Sonia, Britain’s Premier Fetishist, it’s not going to show up on your Arcata Garbage bill.
Returning to the topic of recycling, I think there’s a story here that would make a great movie. The heroes would be a remarkable little self-sustaining couple in their golden years who are living a simple life off the grid within Arcata city limits. Solar power, vegetable garden, chickens, water from a well, no phone, no Internet, no cable. No need for garbage and recyclable services. Nothing leftover in their budget to pay for them at any rate. In comes the city and slaps a new fee on them for a service they don’t need. They refuse to pay it. The city retaliates by seizing their property and turning it into the new site for Arcata Endeavor.
Or maybe it ends some other way. Maybe the city rescinds, deciding it’s okay to use the taxpayers’ own money to pay for recycling. I don’t know. But it’ll be interesting to watch. Almost as good as the Arcata Garbage Web site.
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SEVEN Comments
Comment / By Jim Welsh / Feb. 26, 2009, 9:48 a.m.
How greatly I agree. I’ve been recycling since the sixties when the only thing you could recycle was Al cans! Every bit of paper, metal and plastic in our house is recycled. I compost all kitchen wastes and the dog takes care of the very few bones. Anything that can’t be recycled goes to the dump which I visit twice a year. I’m a real leech. On top of the cost of Arcata Garbage, I’ll bet that the city adds on their Utility Tax!
Comment / By Lisa Monet / Feb. 26, 2009, 11:05 a.m.
I appreciate the humor that Rick St. Charles shed on the touchy subject of recycling methods in his Journal article “Confessions of a Renegade Recycler”. Thanks Rick, for keeping us laughing as we wrestle with our recyclables and with the mixed-messages we’re getting about how best to dispose of them.
Comment / By Paul Carter / Feb. 26, 2009, 7:43 p.m.
Thank you Rick for your humorous comments on a very serious subject. My first reaction is to investigate Mr. Loughmillers connection with Arcata Garbage. If he will gain financially by this mandate, there is a conflict of interest. I don’t believe it is legal to make it mandatory to pay for a service you don’t use nor want. The city council needs to seek legal counsel before they pass a potentially volatile situation with class action law suits a daily occurrence. I think I hear Big Brother knocking at my door. If you have a Solar power system that puts out more electricity than you use, the power company has to pay you for the excess. So Rick and Jim, I would say the city owes you a bunch of money.
Comment / By Citizen Arcata / Feb. 28, 2009, 3:51 p.m.
The St Charles article simply echoes a tired Republican theme: don’t ask me to pay for a social service. Society requires us to pay for many beneficial programs, such as roads, schools and yes—for homeowners—garbage pickup. The point of a community recycling program isn’t to save money for Mr. St Charles, but to take responsibility for recycling the whole community’s trash. Community recycling also saves energy. We can’t all drive our trash around in private cars.
Comment / By Citizen Arcata / Feb. 28, 2009, 3:51 p.m.
The St Charles article simply echoes a tired Republican theme: don’t ask me to pay for a social service. Society requires us to pay for many beneficial programs, such as roads, schools and yes—for homeowners—garbage pickup. The point of a community recycling program isn’t to save money for Mr. St Charles, but to take responsibility for recycling the whole community’s trash. Community recycling also saves energy. We can’t all drive our trash around in private cars.
Comment / By Citizen Arcata / Feb. 28, 2009, 3:58 p.m.
FYI here’s the Arcata Recycling center’s website: http://www.arcatarecycling.org/
Lots of good ideas. No pornography.
Comment / By Johnny Hands / Feb. 28, 2009, 7:02 p.m.
I’m not getting the “taking advantage of the system” line either. I live in an Arcata apartment where there are no recyling options, other than taking it down to the Arcata Recycling Center. I donate everything rather than redeem it - it probably adds up to maybe $80 or $90 a year I’m giving them - how is that taking advantage of the system?