Hillbilly dumpster

Maybe I should be careful with the title of this post - after all, I do live here in this apartment complex myself. Nonetheless, it's amazing the things that my neighbors will throw away in the dumpster here. If what they're throwing away won't fit in the dumpster itself - and mind you I've seen all kinds of large items sticking way out of this dumpster, not to worry - just put it as close to the dumpster as you can. The guys who drive the garbage truck will handle it from there. I would think there would be some kind of guidelines or dumpster etiquette, if you will, for disposing of things in this manner - but there isn't.

I've seen all of the following items in and/or around the dumpster that sits at the end of my parking lot:

Televisions - small ones, big ones and very big ones. Some of them have even had handwritten signs taped on their screens that said: Works! When I think back to how much some of these huge televisions cost in their day, it's hard to think of them sitting out in the elements. I don't know where all this trash from the complex goes, but it can't be good.

Furniture - all kinds of furniture. Couches, chairs, tables - end and coffee, dining room tables, if you can sit on it, lay on it or put something on it, I've seen it at the hillbilly dumpster.

Computers, stereo units, lamps, appliances - aw hell, you name it, it's been out there at one time or another, or it will be in the very near future. As I write this post, there's a brown sofa up against the dumpster with its cushions tossed inside. This is one very well fed dumpster, yes indeed.

There are also three standing trash bins to the left of the m.d. (main dumpster) that are labeled for recycling - glass and plastic, paper and cardboard. The first one is always jammed and overflowing with beer bottles - surprise.

I guess the only rules for the dumpster area are centered around whether you still want something - either you do, or you don't. I can't recall the property manager ever posting guidelines for what you can or cannot throw away. All of these items must make their way to the dumpster under cover of night - I've never seen anyone walking a couch or 70" BIG screen television over to it.

Maybe there's a hillbilly dumpster fairy whose job it is to put this stuff there. "Hey Ma, lookit - it's one of them pro-jection t.v.'s! Can we keep it?" - "Well, lemme git yer pa to help us lug 'er inside anyway."
Come to think of it, I've never seen this stuff actually go bye-bye on trash pickup day either. One day the stuff is there, another day it's gone. Believe me there are days when the trash guys have just got to round the corner into this lot and think "aw shit - would ya look at this crap??"

Now is where I'll admit that I once, once mind you, salvaged something from the hillbilly dumpster - hold on a minute and let me explain myself - and no, it wasn't any kind of furniture, oh, and while I'm mentioning furniture, I've seen box springs and mattresses of all sizes out there too, frames and headboards as well. So what, pray tell, did I salvage? Any guesses? Doesn't matter - none of you would get it, so I'll just tell you: a pair of skis. Yes, you read that right. The skis were not in bad shape at all and the bindings looked brand new - which is basically why I took the skis in the first place. Have I done anything with them? Nope. I thought I might know someone who would want the bindings, but if I don't.....guess what I'll do with them? Hillbilly dumpster, damn straight.