dumpster diver's disease

Has anyone ever contracted illness or permanent diease while dumpster diving?

Ive raided a dumpster from outfront a house im guessing someone died in. lots of really old books, work tools and everything else. no, I didnt ask permission (or get to ask questions), it was in a curbfront dumpster in the busy city of sf with lots of metal sticking out, if i didnt grab it, someone else would. well i couldnt help to wonder what he died of. old age.. couldnt fight of sickness... could all that stuff be contaminated with his sickness?

What about that load i got from my neighbors house. without thinking anything other than "aluminum ~drool~" I grabbed his mothers toilet booster seat and threw it in my truck. wow, talk about a gross, bacteria carrying material, if that thought came into my head I woulda just left it.

but then im thinking about things people toss out just cuase their friend puked all over it or cuase it had spent years nestled in rat feces. Who knows where what has been, especially when we decide to keep or sell it!



I'm just thinking that in the long run are these small gains not worth the risk of illness?
What are some illness we should be especially weary of? I always hear of nasty tweaker diseases like hpv, hepatitus and tuberculosis. are we putting ourselves at risk of catching these diseases?

just a thought.

I also need to put a bottle of purelle in my truck

i just moved to oakland and brought a neighbors curbed tv into my new room

There is a reason our bodies have immune systems. Just wear gloves and wash your hands/take a shower after your done trash picking and you should be fine. Oh, look out for needles too.

Beware of Greek gifts !

I never dumpster dive. I'm an effective scrapper where I work smart and not too hard. Touch bases with some old heads and you will get what I mean.

Has anyone ever contracted illness or permanent diease while dumpster diving?

Hoss wasn't D.D. but it did come from scrapping.
http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/day-l...-you-sick.html

I do it less now. Long story short meds make my immune system really low. Even then though I am careful and have never caught anything. Main thing is to wear gloves. I wear cheap latex under work gloves. The latex (nitril if allergic) also helps me to feel my grip better.

I have a pretty much constant ****z from coming in contact with germs etc.

I expect its mostly from old fridges etc. Once the fridge stops, people just close the door & theres a time period before they actually dump it.
In that time period.............................anything can happen.

Cockroaches (almost unknown here in NZ, probably seen them 6 times in my life).
Mold (green, from bread etc)
Flys & maggots (in various stages of life cycles)
Rotten meat (sealed & unsealed)

A while ago I got some 'probacteria' yoghurt. 6 & 1/2 billion good bacteria per serve. NZ$4 for 5 servings.
That helps heaps, untill I pick up some bad bacteria again, though a few solid weeks of using it would fix everything I think.
--------

I still cringe at remembering the time I found a partly filled 20 litre container of Ali mag wheel cleaner. Remembering that I had heard that some mag wheel cleaner is actually GHB, I took a second look, before removing the cap.

Boy I'm glad I did. It was Hydrofluric acid 5%.......

Hydrofluoric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote wiki{ Hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive liquid and is a contact poison. It should be handled with extreme care, beyond that accorded to other mineral acids. Owing to its low dissociation constant, HF as a neutral lipid-soluble molecule penetrates tissue more rapidly than typical mineral acids. Because of the ability of hydrofluoric acid to penetrate tissue, poisoning can occur readily through exposure of skin or eyes, or when inhaled or swallowed. Symptoms of exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be immediately evident. HF interferes with nerve function, meaning that burns may not initially be painful. Accidental exposures can go unnoticed, delaying treatment and increasing the extent and seriousness of the injury.}

Not my hands, just a pic off wiki

Originally Posted by eesakiwi

I have a pretty much constant ****z from coming in contact with germs etc.

I expect its mostly from old fridges etc. Once the fridge stops, people just close the door & theres a time period before they actually dump it.
In that time period.............................anything can happen.

Cockroaches (almost unknown here in NZ, probably seen them 6 times in my life).
Mold (green, from bread etc)
Flys & maggots (in various stages of life cycles)
Rotten meat (sealed & unsealed)

A while ago I got some 'probacteria' yoghurt. 6 & 1/2 billion good bacteria per serve. NZ$4 for 5 servings.
That helps heaps, untill I pick up some bad bacteria again, though a few solid weeks of using it would fix everything I think.
--------

I still cringe at remembering the time I found a partly filled 20 litre container of Ali mag wheel cleaner. Remembering that I had heard that some mag wheel cleaner is actually GHB, I took a second look, before removing the cap.

Boy I'm glad I did. It was Hydrofluric acid 5%.......

Hydrofluoric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote wiki{ Hydrofluoric acid is a highly corrosive liquid and is a contact poison. It should be handled with extreme care, beyond that accorded to other mineral acids. Owing to its low dissociation constant, HF as a neutral lipid-soluble molecule penetrates tissue more rapidly than typical mineral acids. Because of the ability of hydrofluoric acid to penetrate tissue, poisoning can occur readily through exposure of skin or eyes, or when inhaled or swallowed. Symptoms of exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be immediately evident. HF interferes with nerve function, meaning that burns may not initially be painful. Accidental exposures can go unnoticed, delaying treatment and increasing the extent and seriousness of the injury.}

Not my hands, just a pic off wiki

Let me repeat, never, ever dumpster dive. Look back at the post "Ten Commandments of Scrapping," no scrap is worth going to jail for and definitely not worth risking your health. Wait until you have no family nor love ones, then dumpster dive your heart away. It's way beyond pride. Get your priorities in line and don't dive.