Osler's Razor

We had the same system in the suburb of St. Louis where I grew up (and I think they still do). No matter the size of his truck, the dogs still barked at the garbage man.
 

I want one.
 

is that one lost? where is its mother ship?
 

NFW! That is truly ridiculous.

In the Old Dominion, one takes his or her own trash to the curb. Once a week. There are three guys on one truck that come and get it. Another truck with three guys come later for the recyclables.

If the homeowner doesn't get his or her stuff to the curb, Tough Luck.
 

In Philly, the trash guys come with a truck, pick up your trash can, and dump the trash out in the street.
 

When I saw the tile of this post I thought you were going in a completely different direction...
 

When I lived in New Hampshire we didn't even have trash pickup. You had to haul your crap to the dump, which was an event in and of itself.
 

IPLG - in my part of the Old Dominion we have twice-weekly trash pickup. Perhaps you should move a little further west.
 

I miss the Shores trash pick up. We drive our trash and recyclables to the dump. I need to start composting so it doesn't smell so bad.

You do know that GPS is now a City? They changed their status 3 or 4 months ago.
 

Yes. It's now called "The City of Grosse Pointe Shores: A Michigan Village", which is quite possibly the worst name for a city, of all time, ever.
 

Christine--

Did you notice that the Bikini Truck in the photo appears to be delivering trash to your old house?
 

TLG,

Loudoun County?!!!? No way. I'd rather have a short commute than a big house.

Of course, in my part of close in Fairfax County, the County picks up the trash. Just a few miles west, outside the beltway, my parents must pay a private contractor to do so.

--One question GPer's. Where did the name "bikini" truck come from? Is this an Osler invention or do others use the same term.

Waiting for Tyd's take on this....
 

It's a Bikini truck because it's teeny and it covers the important parts [of getting the garbage to the truck?]
 

OMG I had NO IDEA this was going on. That is INSANE. Little trucks pull up to your garage and get them?????? They do not do that for us in the Woods nor in Canby. I guess it is just too long of a walk down the driveway? Here is my question: is it driven by like, a person? Because if you have like say a really SMALL CAR or a very LARGE toddler and this thing picks it up by mistake?
What then?

Also: I HATE HATE HATE to admit this. Ever. BUT There was ONE YEAR? where I worked as Yes hard to say it a CROSSING GUARD in GP, at the corner of Wedgewood and Roslyn. It was a year in HELL with a bunch of little Safety Boys and Girls with orange belts and all of this. I had a terrible crush on the GPW dog catcher, and he only talked to me ONE TIME the entire year. He would drive by all the time and I would, you know, lust after him as he ignored me in my sexy orange vest and stop sign get up that was so bright it could be seen from outer space... Then, ONE TIME he stopped his truck, rolled down the window, and asked me romantically: "Have you seen a white German Shepherd around here today?" I said No, and he was off and thus ended our torrid affair. I never even got to dance wit him at the Christmas party.

HOWEVER While on that corner that year I did become acutely aware of just how many different types of machines the city of GPW has in it s arsenal. Big huge trucks that sweep stuff and suck things and dig and plow and haul and - you cannot even IMAGINE how many different stupid kinds of municipal vehicles that city has. So this bikini truck? I am not at ALL shocked by this. I am only surprised that it is not painted Pink and Green.
 

Just how many Grosse Pointes are there? Grosse Point W... I assume that's Woods. Or is it West? I've been there a couple of times and I always assumed there was just one Grosse Pointe.

So how did they pick up the trash at the Tyd childhood home?
 

There are Five Grosse Pointes:
Shores, Woods, Farms, Park and City. Int he woods, we do it like most humans did... You have to actually roll the stuff down to the curb. We did have in the woods, the best strongest garbage bags for sale really cheap! They would pick up ANYTHING though. Even a Mattress. But No Bikini.
 

What about Grosse Point Blank? Does that count?
 

Yes, RRL raises a great question... which one of you lived in John Cusack's childhood home that became a Quiki Mart?
 

OMG My friend Jud Askins from my HS? He actually took the FL Bar Exam TODAY btw... the first half poor guy but anyway.. he had like this total GP Blank experience when he went to the 20 year reunion at C brook! His childhood home had been leveled along with a neighbor's and and replaced with a hideous B-Field Hills McMansion EWW!! hahahahahah
 

We have to bring the trash to the curb in Grosse Pointe Woods, but we still have those fun Cushman "Bikini trucks".

I remember fondly the days when I pedaled my bike from the GP city down to my flat in the Park and I had occasion to greet the trash pickers.
 

Well maybe those new residents deserved trash delivery instead of pick up. My parents were lucky to sell it and I miss visiting. Going to stay at their condo in SCS just isn't the same.

At our house in Tampa I bribe the trash guys when I have a lot of stuff at the curb. A fresh batch of cookies usually works.

Wow so many questions about our old haunts.

In the summer, the village (city) hired college kids to assist with the driving of the 'bikini' trucks. This is Osler's name for them. We also had a dedicated summer employee at the park who took care of all the trash (DAILY) and had to scoop the smelly lakeweed and trash out of the harbor around the boats.

For those of you who care, we didn't have busing in our school district, although Osler took a bus to school. Most of us rode our bikes, walked (the need for crossing guards (Tyd) and 5th and 6th graders on safety patrol).

Tyd - Speaking of odd arsenal of trucks, my favoite was the one they drove around in the fall. You would rake your leaves to the curb and the truck had a giant vacuum hose and sucked up the leaves into the truck. Someone drove the truck and someone walked with the hose.
 

The person walking with the hose was, for a while, my brother.
 

I just remembered, my brother drove the bikini truck at the park one summer. One summer of lake muck he turned to bank work the following summer.