Maybe I'm too into scrapping...

So, yesterday morning, I'm at the gas station, filling up my truck. An old man, balding, rather stooped posture, kinda weatherbeaten look about him, comes shuffling toward me across the lot. It was warm, but he was wearing a rather heavy jacket, and there was no rain in the forecast, but he carried an umbrella, folded under his arm. In one hand, he clutched a small plastic garbage bag.

My first thought was that he was going to try and have a conversation with me, but he never really looked at me. Instead, he shuffled to the trash recepticle there between the gas pumps. He bent over, and rummaged through the can, carefully moving empty oil bottles, used kleenex, and discarded, half-eaten fast food lunches, and eventually found what he was after. He took one, solitary, empty Mountain Dew can, and carefully placed it in the bag, before moving on the the other recpticles on the lot.



As I watched him shuffle away, all I could think was, "****. I shoulda thought to look in there..."

lol Dd, that's bad! you shoulda offered him a hamburger and some cans! (he's wearing that coat because it was colder when he started, and carrying that umbrella because he'll be at it Alllll Dayyyy Longggg and who knows what a day might bring ; )

thats rite, let him clean the back of the truck out for the little scraps that never seem to get taken out and put in their proper bin.

I do the same thing every time I fill up. Why not....I checked my pride at the door a long time ago.........

Hey got to what you need to get by, with this gas prices why not see if you can make getting fuel a totally bad experience

lol Dd, that's bad! you shoulda offered him a hamburger and some cans!

I checked my pride at the door a long time ago.........

Truthfully, I did think of offering him a couple of bucks, but I somehow felt it would have hurt his pride. I found myself looking in the truck bed for some cans, but I didn't have any. That would've probably made his day. I was sorry to have missed that opportunity.

Actually, the reason I posted the story was that it gave me pause to realize, and to laugh at myself, that it ever crossed my mind to think that I should've tried to beat him to his payday...

I do exactly the same thing. Wherever I go whether it be grocery shopping, fill my car up with gas, bank, post office, whatever and I pass by the garbage I guarantee you I'm looking inside to see what I may find. It may be a 1 or 2 cans, sometimes more, and it may be nothing. Bottom line, if I'm going to be there anyway I might as well get the most out of my trip.