TRASH AND TECHNOLOGY

I recall from my younger years a girl telling her friends she had missed the bus but got a ride to school in a garbage truck from her neighbor.  Evidently the neighbor’s father owned his own refuse business.  Someone said to her well if you ever get serious about this fellow he at least has job security picking up trash.

Ten years later, I heard a similar statement.  While I had been out and about, I overheard a conversation between two friends.  The one buddy asked his friend why he was not working in a business type job since he had his degree in business, as opposed to the job he currently held.  The friend remarked that a job in the business field can be replaced by some type of technology but his job as a sanitary engineer will always be safe as there will always be garbage to pick up.

I thought of both incidents a few days ago while my husband and I traveled on Lakeview Drive in Sebring, Florida.  We had stopped behind a garbage truck.  As a kid growing up in Chicago, I recall that three men picked up the trash in the alleyways.  One man drove the truck while the other two tossed the garbage into the back. Currently in my neighbor, we have garbage pick-up twice a week and recyclable pick-up once a week.  One would think there is no doubt job security.

What I witnessed that day behind the trash truck in Sebring made me re-evaluate my thoughts. When the truck stopped in front of a residence, no one threw the garbage into the truck.  Instead some sort of mechanical arms came out, picked up the trash receptacle. dumped it into the truck then placed the receptacle back on the ground. 

It hit me; TECHNOLOGY HAS NOW ENTWINED ITSELF INTO THE GARBAGE INDUSTRY. 

What would have been a two man job (driver and trash thrower) is now down to one person….truck driver.  Someone seems to be out of a job, replaced by technology.  No doubt the start-up cost for this new way of trash pick-up is not cheap; there are those special trucks to purchase; trash containers to deliver to each resident in the community; but I am sure overtime they save money.

Of course what happens when there is glitch with the mechanical arms? What if they don’t retract to pick up the container?  Does the driver have to stop, get out, do it manually, get back into the truck and drive on to the next residence?  Do they call in a temp for the day?  Then I only saw one container per residence.  What if someone has more trash than the receptacle can hold?  Do they have to keep the overflow until the following week?   Weird thoughts whirled through my brain that day about how technology has taken over a job that I always thought secure. 

With technology now entering the garbage world, what will be next?  Will our friendly bartender be replaced by some type of mechanical device who can pour, mix and serve us our favorite beverage?  If so….then it will be time to stay home and just pop a cold one.