The Garbage Police Strikes Twice

There is a Garbage Police in our Micawber's neighborhood. And he (or she) has now struck twice!

Last week I was closing the store. It was around 8:30 pm and I had two small bags of garbage to take out. We are supposed to put our garbage in the big dumpster out back. But, I was heading the other way. And frankly, I don't love going to the dumpster at night. It's dark and creepy and recently I saw a rubber glove of unknown origin on the ground. Plus, when you share a dumpster with a restaurant, all manner of nasty can appear.

So, I took my two small bags of garbage with me out the front door when I left. I placed them into the garbage receptacle on the sidewalk and went home.

The next morning, poor Karen found the same two garbage bags plopped on Micawber's front stoop! They had been ravaged by squirrels. (Apparently, there was 1/2 a sandwich in one bag.)

She wondered if I had forgotten to throw the trash away. But, when I arrived at work that day, I assured everyone that I had indeed put the bags in the garbage can.

So, someone actually dug into the garbage can, took out our two bags, and put them on our front steps.

I felt embarrassed. Apparently someone had seen me throw our trash into the city garbage can on the sidewalk. I know these cans are primarily meant for lunch-time strollers, dog walkers and coffee drinkers, but I had no idea it was such an enormous deal to deposit two, small bags of garbage there as well. I was wrong.

That day I vowed to never put Micawber's garbage into the city can again. I am, once again, facing chicken guts and possible kidnappers in order to place our garbage in the correct receptacle.

I thought the garbage drama was over. But then, the Garbage Police (dare I say Trash Nazi) struck again!

Yesterday morning, I opened the store and found a single bag of garbage sitting on our front steps. When I questioned Hans about it, he admitted to hurriedly putting a bag in the sidewalk can the night before.

The ever-vigilant protector of the city waste had discovered the bag and brought it back home. This time I noticed there was an envelope in the bag that had our address right on it. Aaah. Perhaps the Garbage Police is not a nosy neighbor watching us each night, but rather the trash collector himself in the morning.

Either way, I am tempted (slightly) to put some garbage bags in the can, sleep overnight at the store, and catch the Garbage Police in action. This is probably the only way to find out his/her true identity. Remember, this is Minnesota so the garbage is placed on our steps without a note. Just a Minnesota reprimand to not use the city garbage cans.