Houston's law against molesting garbage containers

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Permalink Reply by James M. Martin on March 19, 2013 at 10:32pm

Remember when the fat, pill-popping Rush Limbaugh belittled people he called "dumpster divers" when the folks he called "liberals" expressed concern that a lot of street people were dying because they actually slept in the dumpster and were maimed or killed by the waste management collection equipment?  Only an unspeakable bore like Limbaugh would encourage people to laugh at the misfortune of others.  As for bed bugs, having a bit of  Cimex-phobia is perhaps wise.  I don't believe those TV ads about a "green" product that eradicates them.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on March 19, 2013 at 11:11pm

Yeah Rush Limbaugh - he is horrible.

He likes to belittle those that are less fortunate.

That is such a weird law. I didn't know about it.

Thank you Ruth.

Permalink Reply by Chris Breman on March 20, 2013 at 6:10am

I've never been molested by a garbage container, not even when I got a lot of furniture and useful things from them. I'm all in favour of recycling, but I want a society in which people have got a basic income that allows them to buy healthy food. And it's sickening when poor people are criminalized!

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on March 20, 2013 at 10:04am

Even without/besides criminalization, I've seen plenty of signs -- such as gratuitous multiple armrests on park benches, to discourage sleeping on them -- that authorities would like people who are homeless to disappear from public view.

Permalink Reply by Humble Pie on March 23, 2013 at 8:32am

Damn, that's what those are for?  I am going to start protesting third armrests wherever I  see them.  I had no idea.

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on March 20, 2013 at 2:17pm

Relevant, from Clay Bennett:

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on March 20, 2013 at 2:41pm

Apt image!

Permalink Reply by Reads on March 20, 2013 at 4:50pm

Yes, it seems inhumane

Permalink Reply by Ryan E. on March 27, 2013 at 10:58pm

I work in security, and my staff often have to remove dumpster divers from our accounts. They often protest this: why are they being criminalized for reducing the size of landfills, or for turning recyclables into revenue?

The answer is liability. Unfortunately, we live in a highly litigious society. Injuries sustained on the property while doing this could end up in court. It's not economically wise to allow this.

Another problem is identity theft. A little scavenging can seize such documents . Just tearing them in half won't protect your identity. Safer to discourage scavenging altogether.

Permalink Reply by Humble Pie on March 30, 2013 at 8:22am

Same reason we chase skaters out of public places.  Not because of the nuisance to pedestrians  but because they could sue if they got hurt.