On Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:52:46 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> wrote:

>Here, if there is waste in a can, at the curb, ready for pickup,
>anyone can have what they want -- it's not stealing, once it's
>discarded.

As far as the recyclables (paper, cans, bottles) in my City, it *is*
stealing because recycling helps keep the garbage bill down.
Sometimes our rate is lowered for a month because they got enough
recycling the month before to give us that break.

AFAIC, since the city expects us to maintain the sidewalk it's *my*
property. The public has an easement onto my property (the sidewalk),
but I have not given them permission to steal. My contract with the
garbage company requires me to put my garbage on the sidewalk. It
wouldn't be there if I wasn't required to do it. Just because it's
there does not mean it's ok to steal. I have shooed off people
rummaging through my recycling in the past and I will do it whenever I
catch them doing it in the future.

>Lots of "curb treasure" gets recycled this way in this
>college town. I know if I don't want an old but o.k. coffee table or
>an old dinette set, or a baby crib, I can put it on the curb the day
>before scheduled garbage pickup and someone will take it and use it.

That's different. I call it sidewalk shopping. We don't have much of
that here, but I the word is that NCY does it a lot.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.