RE: Dumpster Diving - Legality vs Reality and health

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>

As a rule, albeit with rare exception,*NO* company is going to give you 
permission to dumpsterdive. Everyone is paranoid of a lawsuit, and any 
*good* dumpster is gonna be at lest a little dangerous, especially if you're 
like most Geeks and not terribly graceful. Dumpsters are smooth-walled and 
can make for some mildly interesting climbs.

There...I'm the first person in history to give Beta on a dumpster climb, 
lol...what, 5.1? :) Would it be considered Sport if you clip into the 
bungee-loops?

Regardless, half of the adventure of dumpsterdiving is avoiding the security 
guard in search of buried treasure and all that. I've been climbing in, on, 
and around dumpsters since I was 12 and hauled a washing-machine-sized hard 
drive home on a pair of skateboards (not a trivial task when you weigh 
90lbs) lol. Over all the years I've been dumpster diving I've been caught 
and run out of there once, by a crusty old security guard with more 
flashlight than sense of humour.

The best case scenario was when a herd of us got wandered upon by a security 
guard and he not only didn't run us out, he helped load some old insulators 
onto the truck!

He's a Member now :)

With dumpsterdiving the main thing to remember is be careful, wear goves 
(good leather work gloves, or better yet those nice Mechanics gloves), tough 
shoes, and carry a minimag (put a bit of string on it or you'll loose it 
down some tiny hole in a pile, been there, done that).
Be wary of getting sliced or punctured, especially in places like a HVAC 
shop where EVERYTHING in that dumpster has a razor-edge. Frequently 
dumpsters will have a layer of nastiness and festering death in the bottom 
composed of collected rainwater and all the diseases of cambodia, don't go 
near it. Work the pile from the top down, and no matter HOW good that old 
motor looks, don't dig for it unless there's nothing over your head that can 
fall. The piles in dumpsters are almost always unstable. And of course, 
always look before you jump in! Remember to thump the side a couple times 
BEFORE YOU STICK YOUR HEAD OVER THE SIDE! I've seen quite a few Raccons, 
Skunks, and 'Possums come flying out the top after you kick the side, and 
they don't tend to be in a good mood.

If you hurt yourself, it's *your* fault, don't even think about Sueing the 
owner, you assumed the risk when you climbed on in. And if you get run out, 
be nice, just smile and walk away (next door to the next dumpster, lol). 
Don't try beggint he guard, it never works. It's *always* easier to ask 
forgiveness than it is to ask permission.

Good places for goodies a'la Curb......

Radio Shack (G>I>G>O)
Print Shops (They toss out some interesting bits, I just got a 
carbon-arc-lamp in a box, old plate-burner), comes with a free Vaccuum pump 
:)
The whole industrial side of town.
Railroad carbody shops (lots of metal bits)
Walmart (everything, you name it), or Meijer in this part of the world.

Be creative, and always keep your eyes open. We got 9 microwaves in ONE DAY 
last summer when the city did big-trash-day. Need compressors, get an old 
fridge! Parts are everywhere, hidden in the form of appliances and other 
household things. Besides, you're helping the environment and all.


Pave the Planet.



Christopher "Duck" Boden Geek#1
President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
The Geek Group
www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!