The 96 Gallon Container, and Its Problems

This link, http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071117/NEWS16/71117002, from the Toledo Blade discusses the proposed budget and what council is saying about it so far. One item mentioned was the "automated garbage truck" run by the driver himself. I will be posting other links in comments to deal with this.

But I can see one problem already. People don't want containers outside their house in the front, but if they are put in the alley I can also see them becoming the "targets" of those who speed through alleys. Also, many people don't have alleys. So can we opt out of the program, and perhaps pay extra for the "personal service" of a three-man crew (the new trucks will cost more, but we will be paying less in human resources costs, such as sick pay, retirement, vacation, holidays, etc.).

Another idea might be to reduce the crew from three people (two "collectors" and the driver) to two (a "collector" and "collector/driver"). This might work this way: the driver stops, turns off the engine (to be in compliance with Ohio laws), helps the collector put garbage in the back of the truck, starts the vehicle up again ("godddammit, it won't start"), drives 20-40 feet, stops, and repeats the process. This might put more hours onto the route, but it might cut the crews by a third. There might also be less need for supervision. On the other hand, drivers might be stacked up behind the truck as the driver tries to deal with both driving, and collection. But it might work.