Strange conversation we had last week, eh? Me trying to get your attention, you ignoring me as much as possible. Oh well, I'm sure it was great entertainment for the neighbours, and it gave us the opportunity to air a few concerns.
If I remember correctly, it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining. I know you saw our two blue boxes because during the course of our conversation, you told me so. True, there were those two piles of dirt on the street in front of them, but we didn't put them there - and they weren't there when we put the boxes out early that morning.
From my standpoint, you had three choices.
1. You could have walked 6 feet around the back of one pile, pick up the first bin, keep walking to pick up the second bin, take both to the truck, empty them, and leave them right there on the curb.
2. You could have walked around the back of one pile, then around the front of the second pile, taking the bins one at a time and emptying them.
3. You could have walked through the middle of the two piles where there was a clear path, and picked up both bins before taking them to the truck.
Unfortunately, you decided the whole situation was our fault and chose to leave both where they were, even though they were easily accessible and full to the brim with recycled matter.
When I saw the situation, I had three choices.
1. Ignore you and let you go on your way, then take the bins to the local recycle spot.
2. Call the city and complain, even though it would have meant dealing with the ridiculous 311 line.
3. Run out into the street and insist you come back and do your job.
Unfortunately, I chose #3, replaced "insist" with "yelling", which led to a bit of name calling on both our parts, me apologising for name calling and yelling, you saying bins only get picked up if they're on the curb, me saying they were on the curb, you saying that missing a few bins wasn't your problem, me asking if you were paid to make it your problem, you complaining you had hundreds of thousands of bins to pick up and you couldn't go back for only two, me shaking my head as you tossed the bins to the ground, and you yelling "Have a nice day!" in the kind of voice that suggested you didn't really mean it.
The sad part of it all is that in our respective desire to win the conversation, neither of us noticed that the bins on the other side of the street hadn't been picked up yet. That would have given each of us an option:
1. I could have simply put them over there for you to pick up later.
2. You could have suggested from your position down the street that I put them over them for you to pick up later.
Unfortunately, we chose ignoring and yelling over civil and courteous behaviour. What a shame.
Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not do that again next week - the neighbours don't need the entertainment, and neither you nor I need or deserve the angst.
Signed, an otherwise grateful Blue Box user.
PS While I was writing this blog, a friend posted an appropriate sentiment on my Facebook page: "I am thankful for the difficult people in my life. They have shown me exactly who I don't want to be." Hmmm. To which one of us do you think this applies?!
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