Negativity

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by joebob49

Yea a woman the other day as im grabbing some metal crates from the curb. She stops and says here honey take this dollar, Come on fast befor my neighbers see me giving a bum money. I opened my wallet and handed her a 20 told her to leave fast befor I steal her BMW.

---

Ive been doing this a long time.Ive worked for a couple of different companies,still work for a larger midwest company, and for years scraped on my own time.I would often double my wages by scraping after work and on weekends and sometimes more than double.It has always amazed me that people associate our business with "garbage collection".Ive gotten those looks though...many times.I always figured the more people who were ignorant about this business the more money I can make..worked out pretty good so far.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YardApe

Ive been doing this a long time.Ive worked for a couple of different companies,still work for a larger midwest company, and for years scraped on my own time.I would often double my wages by scraping after work and on weekends and sometimes more than double.It has always amazed me that people associate our business with "garbage collection".Ive gotten those looks though...many times.I always figured the more people who were ignorant about this business the more money I can make..worked out pretty good so far.

---

Garbage collectors make $32K in Ohio, could be worse.
http://www.infobarrel.com/List_of_Tr...aries_by_State

My freind is a front load driver, drives the truck that picks up dumpsters. He gets paid on a percentage and make about $55k/yr. People look down on him as well. By the way $55k in eastern NC is a good wage. Mike.

I haul trash for a living and also scrap on the side. I love my job. Most people look down at me for what I do for a living and the cloths I wear. It never bothers me. If they really knew who I was they would know I most likely make more than them, graduated top of my class, and am dating a cute pharmacist, but they just see the dirty garbage man.... fools The greatest thing about my job is that nobody messes with the garbage man. I've never once been yelled at or cussed out.

I go to auctions to buy scrap all the time. There is an old man maybe in his late 70s that is at every auction. He buys all the junk I like to buy. He always wears a ratty old shirt and uses an old ski pole for a cane. He is the owner of a salvage yard and is probably one of the wealthiest people I've ever meet.

ive had to convince my whole family and my girlfriend. my uncle asked for months if i was making any money, we went to a pallet auctions a few weeks ago and pulled out my bag, paid cash for our 80 gallon air compressor and two other pallets and have gotten one more since, plus now he gets gas for his old tractor from our cars because we are getting more than my partner can use, then he went with me with a load of aluminum wheels and i showed him the ticket??? he said how many trips do you make a week is said at least one a day, anyway no more questions from him. most of you guys know this but after my girl went with me a few days on her days off she is now convinced and actually looks forward to the phone ringing now plus she is expert at tire disassembling shes only able to work with me once or twice a month but i think she looks forward to it now. i used to get a haircut once or twice a year but since i have started dealing with some businesses i do clean up a little more often but still wear my steel toes and my Carhartts even when we meet with the big dogs. i get called Sanford and son all the time and i just grin, even made it my ringtone on my phone. anyway for the people that judge us i have to agree with Mick People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank. thanks Mick and thanks Russel for this thread

I was walking down a road with a 25Kg load of Ali etc in a sack over my shoulders, dirty & torn up clothes.
I walk past a newly sold house, the owners are sayin 'bye' to a couple who have just visited them.

As the visitors are getting to their car, they see me, giggle & larf thinking to themselves 'look at the dero' carrying rubbish'....

And I'm thinking 'Well, you didn't pay cash up front for your house, like I did'

http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/...518_103933.jpg

This is just walk around money all from scrapping....LOL

That's called f u money up here.Pull it out when people look down on you. Shuts them up real quick.

Ha Ha Ha!

I parked my truck for a clients for a few days for an "Amnesty Day". I picked up a couple of 486's and a 386. I pull this cpu's first, because sometimes the old man misses them (No heat sink). I show him and he grins. He works for a buddy that owns an auctions house. Takes things to the shop from time to time. He was telling his buddy about how 1 chip from one Pc is worth $125#. The auctioneer starts saying "No way in hell....Blah blah blah" And starts calling the old man a Trash hauler(Jokingly, they've been friends forever!).

So when our check comes from e-Wasted this weekend..I promised him I'd make him a copy and let him take it to his buddy, and ask if that's worth Trash Picking...LOL

the money was in a trust managed by the bank due to his lack of understanding of normal processes. the bank allowed him a monthly stipend and approved all credit transactions.

I like being "invisible" as I like to call it.

Sure people see me when I'm picking, but very few will talk to me.


When I'm dressed up though, it's a different story. Makes me wish I was picking.;)

Does anyone come across negative comments about scrapping?

I pickup cans on my street and hold cleanups once a month been doin it for 6 years now about 1000 hours of volunteer hours and folks look at me like either homeless or on work release. I'm having a blast making Cash and cleaning up the Street. Someone tried to give us money last month when we were cleaning the street. I used to work at an inner city hospital and they had choppers coming in from 3 states and the thing they are known for is everyone regardless if your a street person or a trauma surgeon is treated with RESPECT. Even when the guards are kicking people off the property it's Sir or Mam. That is the problem with our society people have a lack of RESPECT for each other. On Wednesday morning some teenagers got into an argument couple miles north of us and one kid felt Dis respected so he shot two kids seven times. One survived after taking him to that hospital.

There is definitely a world wide bias against recyclers since it flies in the face of the grand lie of consumption as the pinnacle of our "civilization". Watch Vic Muniz's Waste Land and stand tall, real tall. We are the future.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dmm2442

I haul trash for a living and also scrap on the side. I love my job. Most people look down at me for what I do for a living and the cloths I wear. It never bothers me. If they really knew who I was they would know I most likely make more than them, graduated top of my class, and am dating a cute pharmacist, but they just see the dirty garbage man.... fools The greatest thing about my job is that nobody messes with the garbage man. I've never once been yelled at or cussed out.

I go to auctions to buy scrap all the time. There is an old man maybe in his late 70s that is at every auction. He buys all the junk I like to buy. He always wears a ratty old shirt and uses an old ski pole for a cane. He is the owner of a salvage yard and is probably one of the wealthiest people I've ever meet.

---

I don't look down on the garbage guys around here. Being its against regulations to throw electronics in the trash. The guy that picks ours up always tells me hey man there's towers at such an such. He always gets a nice tip. But the way I look at it is if a man is making an honest living he is a good man in my book no matter what his wages or attire includes.

Hold your heads up high fellas...real high. Anyone can do a mainstream job, that fits the society norm. But when you can do whatever it takes, no matter what anyone thinks, to take care of your family. Well Hell, that's the true meaning of Character, Class, and Pride.

A lot of people see "us" as bums, because most of us trash pick. We trash pick, because not only can we find metal, but we find a lot of goodies to scrap, or to sell locally, or on ebay.com, etc.

What you are doing, is making a GOOD income, doing HONEST work. You are NOT selling drugs, becoming an arms dealer, or becoming a pimp and pimping woman out for cash.

Don't ever let anyone think you are trash, when you are NOT!

Some of us make more in 1 week, then most 9 to 5'ers make in an entire month!

Most of my family thought that I was nuts when I got started with this. Asked me why I didn't stay with real estate investing. I told them "who said I wasn't?" I just like doing different things and staying busy.

Now they see what kind of business I have made, and like newattitude mentioned, I carry around a "wanted" list. I sometimes will give them the stuff for free, and most times, they will pay me a little something for it.

Just don't ever let anyone make you feel like dirt!

I get it all the time. Even my parents mention how they paid for a 4 year degree and I spent there money like this. I not only run my small yard but work a full time white collar job as well. This has me putting in 80+ hours most weeks. All I can do is laugh at their comments. My bank teller routinely scoffs at me when I stop by and pay all my bank loans again which are paid almost a year in advance and put money in the savings account. None the less she looks down on me and my family. It doesn't bother us. I don't have a problem with people who work for a living and they shouldn't resent those who don't have too. I don't care what a person does for a living but i do care what kind of person they are. LOL even a company I buy steel cans, the guy who loads them, makes slight comments about what we do..... Dude you work for the guy I just handed 4k in cash to buy these!!! Kinda funny now that I think of it. But I don't look down on him for it..

It did bother me considerably this week though when my wife was driving my truck to the store and some 90 year old lady hit my truck hard enough to push the axle back. I have business insurance on it and pay alot for it. that was last wed. I was just able to get them to accept liability yesterday and when they try to replace it with a mini car I explain I need at least a f250 with a gooseneck hitch...... well I am just out of luck cause they wont provide it. When I start to talk loss of use settlement they ask what the truck does. I explain it and am told that if I think I can provide some type of proof of what I could have made if the truck were not damage then I could make a claim. She became very disrespectful after the explanation. Guess i will have to waste money on attorney because suddenly I am just trying to scam them....

Wow I usually make short posts. maybe this is a hidden issue with me.

The only real difference between a worthless bum and a respected member of the community is how much money people think you have in the bank. The people who tell you to get a real job and have a carear when they think you are poor are the same people who would quit their job and sit on their ass enjoying life if they hit the lottery. Its a society thing, we have values that take time to be adjusted with the reality of the world. After WW1 anybody who made a dime off manufacturing war equipment was looked at like scum, these days making billions off of war/death is as American as hotdogs, baseball and Apple pie.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rio

I get it all the time. Even my parents mention how they paid for a 4 year degree and I spent there money like this. I not only run my small yard but work a full time white collar job as well. This has me putting in 80+ hours most weeks. All I can do is laugh at their comments. My bank teller routinly scoffs at me when I stop by and pay all my bank loans again which are paid almost a year in advance and put money in the savings account. None the less she looks down on me and my faimly. It dosent bother us. I dont have a problem with people who work for a living and they shouldnt resent those who dont have too. I dont care what a person does for a living but i do care what kind of person they are. LOL even a company I buy steel cans, the guy who loads them, makes slight comments about what we do..... Dude you work for the guy I just handed 4k in cash to buy these!!! Kinda funny now that I think of it. But I dont look down on him for it..

It did bother me conciderably this week though when my wife was driving my truck to the strore and some 90 year old lady hit my truck hard enough to push the axle back. I have business insurance on it and pay alot for it. that was last wed. I was just able to get them to accept liability yesterday and when they try to replace it with a mini car I explain I need at least a f250 with a gooseneck hitch...... well I am just out of luck cause they wont provide it. Whene I start to talk lose of use settelment they ask what the truck does. I explain it and am told that if I think I can provide some type of proof of what I could have made if the truck were not dammage then I could make a claim. She became very disresptfull after the explination. Guess i will have to waste money on attorney because suddenly I am just trying to scam them....

Wow I usually make short posts. maybee this is a hidden issue with me.

---

That is some BS. We used to have "The General" and the lady who hit us head on, had the same. It took them almost 6 months for us to get a check for everything. However, we did get more for our car than we thought we would.

Insurance companies are like wanna be billionaires. They want all your money to make them rich, but they don't ever want to spend any.

Hire a lawyer, and have them try to negotiate for the truck. Settle out of court. If not, take them to court, and have media coverage on it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by corycouch

ive had to convince my whole family and my girlfriend. my uncle asked for months if i was making any money, we went to a pallet auctions a few weeks ago and pulled out my bag, paid cash for our 80 gallon air compressor and two other pallets and have gotten one more since, plus now he gets gas for his old tractor from our cars because we are getting more than my partner can use, then he went with me with a load of aluminum wheels and i showed him the ticket??? he said how many trips do you make a week is said at least one a day, anyway no more questions from him. most of you guys know this but after my girl went with me a few days on her days off she is now convinced and actually looks forward to the phone ringing now plus she is expert at tire disassembling shes only able to work with me once or twice a month but i think she looks forward to it now. i used to get a haircut once or twice a year but since i have started dealing with some businesses i do clean up a little more often but still wear my steel toes and my Carhartts even when we meet with the big dogs. i get called Sanford and son all the time and i just grin, even made it my ringtone on my phone. anyway for the people that judge us i have to agree with Mick People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank. thanks Mick and thanks Russel for this thread

---

That's great. I, too get called that as well and also made that my ringtone about a year ago!!! My previous business was a residential design practice for about 26 years. Sometimes I haul scrap from the developments I used to design in! Personally, I could give a rats ass what people think. I enjoy the freedom this business has given me, the income it has given me, and the independence and peace of mind that my success depends on my hard work and diligence, rather than the whims of other people. In my first year I moved @ 25 tons of material, by myself with my truck and one flatbed trailer. Looking to move more this year. For me, this is the last frontier.