the cops

There are laws here in my town also against it. I don't know how much they are enforced... So, the only way to be 100% safe here is to ask the owner of the trash pile for permission to take something.

I was in need of some chip plywood and as I was on my way to work one day I saw a full sheet, broken in half, in someone's trash pile. Great. That will save me $10. I put the first half in my truck and started back for the 2nd piece when the owner lady came storming out of her house yelling about how she's sick and tired of people stealing her trash (isn't this what trash men do? take the trash?). So I asked her if I could have it and she flat out said NO. She threatened to call the cops informing me of the law. I pulled the one piece I had out of my truck, said thanks anyway and left.

On my way home that night passed by her pile. She went through all the work to break the sheets of chipboard up into 2'X2' squares. She was sure there was no way her trash wouldn't make it to the landfill and she won. I always thought of it as recycling... reusing something.



This was years ago and years before I ever took my first load to the scrap yard. I looked up the law that day.

There is also a law about putting rummage sale signs on public land. $250 fine. I have never seen anyone get this fine and there are signs EVERYWHERE. God I love rummage sale season.

Sorry.... sometimes I ramble.

Usualy people do not mind if they have something out on the sidewalk or curb during trash nightand you take it! However, I do ask the owner BEFORE I remove an article off their property! I will tell you this from expierence, by asking the owner if you may or may not remove something, you may be able to establish a good reputation and they may agree to hold scrap items for you! scrapnscrap.

Originally Posted by wdaddy

There are laws here in my town also against it. I don't know how much they are enforced... So, the only way to be 100% safe here is to ask the owner of the trash pile for permission to take something.

I was in need of some chip plywood and as I was on my way to work one day I saw a full sheet, broken in half, in someone's trash pile. Great. That will save me $10. I put the first half in my truck and started back for the 2nd piece when the owner lady came storming out of her house yelling about how she's sick and tired of people stealing her trash (isn't this what trash men do? take the trash?). So I asked her if I could have it and she flat out said NO. She threatened to call the cops informing me of the law. I pulled the one piece I had out of my truck, said thanks anyway and left.

On my way home that night passed by her pile. She went through all the work to break the sheets of chipboard up into 2'X2' squares. She was sure there was no way her trash wouldn't make it to the landfill and she won. I always thought of it as recycling... reusing something.

This was years ago and years before I ever took my first load to the scrap yard. I looked up the law that day.

There is also a law about putting rummage sale signs on public land. $250 fine. I have never seen anyone get this fine and there are signs EVERYWHERE. God I love rummage sale season.

Sorry.... sometimes I ramble.

All I can say about people like that is "karma". Thankfully I've never ran into anyone like that, alot of the ones I have met while loading up have been great, some have even helped me load.

Local cops basically know what I do, heck I'm out when they're making their morning rounds. I don't make a mess, sometimes if the wind has scattered stuff, I actually do some quick clean up.

I give alot of stuff away too, times are tough.