Comments on: Picking Through Someone Else’s Rubbish http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/ Nick Ramsay, blogging from Japan. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:27:52 +0900 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Jerome http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9102 Jerome Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:52:07 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9102 Wao! I d have never imagine that a blog post about trash could have been so popular! :) After 2 years living at the same place, our neighbor said (recently) to my girlfriend that we should be part of this local "gomi duty". She waited 2 years to ask us! I did not even know about that as I leave home much before the garbage men come in the morning... Wao! I d have never imagine that a blog post about trash could have been so popular! :) After 2 years living at the same place, our neighbor said (recently) to my girlfriend that we should be part of this local “gomi duty”. She waited 2 years to ask us! I did not even know about that as I leave home much before the garbage men come in the morning…

]]> By: Nick Ramsay http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9101 Nick Ramsay Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:22:46 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9101 The bags are <b>transparent</b>. They can see all the plastic, cardboard and glass in it. That's why they don't take it. Simple. Aren't all rubbish bags in Japan see-through? We aren't talking hundreds of bags here, Michael, and they are thrown in a tiny room about 1.5 meters squared. We pass the key from house to house each week and take turns opening it up, cleaning it out, using the cleaning stuff in the next room (also locked) to wash it all down before locking it again. Everyone knows who's on rubbish duty. Everyone knows who has the key. Everyone knows who the last person was and who the next person will be. Japanese neighborhoods require membership. The neighborhood leader (hancho) collects fees from each person in the group and passes that money onto the "housing estate leader" (who also changes annually) and he passes that money onto City Hall who use it for rubbish collection and other services. I'm hancho this year which means I'm the one they call to complain to. You want me to just leave her shit there forever? Hell no! Give me a break! Do you think I enjoy going through the rubbish? You expect me and my neighbors to do it every week? No way! <i>Her</i> rubbish is <i>her</i> responsibility, not mine. That's why I gave it back to her. Wow, I can't believe you're giving me a hard time about something Japanese neighborhood customs require me to do. Jesus Christ. Don't make me out to be the bad guy here, Michael. :roll: The bags are transparent. They can see all the plastic, cardboard and glass in it. That’s why they don’t take it. Simple. Aren’t all rubbish bags in Japan see-through? We aren’t talking hundreds of bags here, Michael, and they are thrown in a tiny room about 1.5 meters squared. We pass the key from house to house each week and take turns opening it up, cleaning it out, using the cleaning stuff in the next room (also locked) to wash it all down before locking it again. Everyone knows who’s on rubbish duty. Everyone knows who has the key. Everyone knows who the last person was and who the next person will be. Japanese neighborhoods require membership. The neighborhood leader (hancho) collects fees from each person in the group and passes that money onto the “housing estate leader” (who also changes annually) and he passes that money onto City Hall who use it for rubbish collection and other services. I’m hancho this year which means I’m the one they call to complain to.

You want me to just leave her shit there forever? Hell no! Give me a break! Do you think I enjoy going through the rubbish? You expect me and my neighbors to do it every week? No way! Her rubbish is her responsibility, not mine. That’s why I gave it back to her. Wow, I can’t believe you’re giving me a hard time about something Japanese neighborhood customs require me to do. Jesus Christ. Don’t make me out to be the bad guy here, Michael. :roll:

]]> By: MJG http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9100 MJG Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:36:20 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9100 I don't get it. Are you saying the garbage men already went through her garbage, found the same envelope you did, scanned the registry, discovered she wasn't allowed to dump garbage there, and therefore left it in the garbage box for you to come along and follow the same process, and then pass the trash back on to her? I rather doubt that happened. I imagine they just passed on the bag cos they randomly passed on it. So why not just leave the bag and they'll get it the next time. Or perhaps you think they- like you- have taken a photograph of the bag and it is on their black list, and so they'll never pick it up? Going through the trash- I don't know if there are laws against this- but it seems like a pretty invasive thing to do. Likewise returning the bag with a doorbell ring- pretty unpleasant. Why not just throw your hands in the air, say 'shoganai', and let it go? I don’t get it. Are you saying the garbage men already went through her garbage, found the same envelope you did, scanned the registry, discovered she wasn’t allowed to dump garbage there, and therefore left it in the garbage box for you to come along and follow the same process, and then pass the trash back on to her?

I rather doubt that happened. I imagine they just passed on the bag cos they randomly passed on it. So why not just leave the bag and they’ll get it the next time. Or perhaps you think they- like you- have taken a photograph of the bag and it is on their black list, and so they’ll never pick it up?

Going through the trash- I don’t know if there are laws against this- but it seems like a pretty invasive thing to do. Likewise returning the bag with a doorbell ring- pretty unpleasant. Why not just throw your hands in the air, say ’shoganai’, and let it go?

]]> By: Nick Ramsay http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9098 Nick Ramsay Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:02:29 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9098 Response? No idea. All I can say is that the bag I dumped on her doorstep is no longer there. Maybe it's in her flat, on her balcony, or lost in the mountains somewhere. Response? No idea. All I can say is that the bag I dumped on her doorstep is no longer there. Maybe it’s in her flat, on her balcony, or lost in the mountains somewhere.

]]> By: Nick Ramsay http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9097 Nick Ramsay Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:00:59 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9097 Brad, you're the second person to say to that. But I'm scratching my head because I thought I made it clear that the garbage men didn't take her rubbish away. You don't expect us to just leave it there forever, do you? The garbagemen's job in Japan is to carry the rubbish away and dispose of it. The residents are responsible for sorting their own rubbish and putting it out in the right place on the right day. If someone screws up, it's up to the person responsible for cleaning the area to deal with it - which is exactly what I did. I thought you lived in Japan? Your neighbors must hate you if you don't sort your trash! :shock: Brad, you’re the second person to say to that. But I’m scratching my head because I thought I made it clear that the garbage men didn’t take her rubbish away. You don’t expect us to just leave it there forever, do you?

The garbagemen’s job in Japan is to carry the rubbish away and dispose of it. The residents are responsible for sorting their own rubbish and putting it out in the right place on the right day. If someone screws up, it’s up to the person responsible for cleaning the area to deal with it – which is exactly what I did.

I thought you lived in Japan? Your neighbors must hate you if you don’t sort your trash! :shock:

]]> By: Jamaipanese http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9096 Jamaipanese Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:32:13 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9096 well whats the update, what was her response? well whats the update, what was her response?

]]> By: Brad http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9095 Brad Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:30:18 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9095 Let her use your garbage spot. Who's it hurting? I'm actually amazed that you have to go through the garbage though. Isn't that the garbagemen's job??? Let her use your garbage spot. Who’s it hurting?

I’m actually amazed that you have to go through the garbage though. Isn’t that the garbagemen’s job???

]]> By: Nick Ramsay http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9094 Nick Ramsay Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:08:46 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9094 Good question. Moving in with a girlfriend, then moving out again, moving up to a bigger place, then moving away for work, all different reasons really. I'm now on the 8th place - my own house - so I don't think I'll be moving again soon, thank goodness. Good question. Moving in with a girlfriend, then moving out again, moving up to a bigger place, then moving away for work, all different reasons really. I’m now on the 8th place – my own house – so I don’t think I’ll be moving again soon, thank goodness.

]]> By: tony http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9093 tony Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:03:13 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9093 You moved five times! Why? You moved five times! Why?

]]> By: Nick Ramsay http://www.longcountdown.com/2008/12/31/picking-through-someone-elses-rubbish/comment-page-1/#comment-9092 Nick Ramsay Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:59:20 +0000 http://www.longcountdown.com/?p=994#comment-9092 Clearly, in this case, it <i>does</i> matter. Obey the rules -> your rubbish is taken away. Disobey the rules -> your rubbish sits on your doorstep. Clearly, in this case, it does matter.

Obey the rules -> your rubbish is taken away.
Disobey the rules -> your rubbish sits on your doorstep.

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