Much Ado About Garbage

Ok, you read this and tell me if I'm being an unreasonable American here.

Our garbage truck comes around every other week to collect our trash (that in itself is a tragedy. Every other week? Come on!). Sometimes the driver of said garbage truck fails to announce his presence when passing by our gate.

Now, normally I'm not a paranoid, "conspiracy theory" type of person and I do try to give people the benefit of the doubt. BUT, I am the only foreign person in my entire neighborhood and I do deal with racism on some level almost on a daily basis, so could the garbage truck driver not caring about my garbage possibly have anything to do with the fact that I am an American and he's afraid to deal with me because he thinks I may require him to speak my native tongue?

Man, that was a long sentence.

Back to the garbage guy.

Two weeks ago they came by to collect our trash and since they had breezed by two weeks before that without stopping, we literally had a garage full of maggoty, rotten... there are just no words, believe me, for what was piled up in there. I was frustrated to tears because I couldn't get the lady (a lady--and I use that term lightly- usually goes with the truck to collect the fees.) to understand that we needed them to actually pause and blow the horn at our gate in order for us to hear them. She refused to admit that anything was amiss and she kept saying over and over again that she pounded on the gate, blah, blah, blah.

Hetee came out and tried to reason with her and she quieted down a little. I'm tired of getting chewed out by people who are supposed to be quiet and just collect my garbage and garbage money. I mean, I'm not asking them to do it for free!

So anyway, apparently they still have not understood the concept of blowing the horn on the big loud truck they have (I think that they think it will use more gas or something ??) because today, lo and behold, I hear a banging noise at the gate and a woman screaming at the top of her lungs: "Khogoo uguurei!!!!!!!!!" (Give me your trash)

Oh, and they had a new set of shenanigans all planned for me today, as well. I handed the garbage man my bathroom trash can to empty into the truck, just like everyone else does and what does the idiot do? He throws my entire trash can into the truck! I said, "Hey, give me my can!" He laughs and says, "We're taking it." At that point, it had been in the back of a garbage truck so I probably should have parted with it right then and there.

The guy did gave it back though, and I'm still trying to work up the nerve to bring it inside and wash it. Disgusting.

On the other hand, I guess it's a good thing I only have to deal with them twice a month. Any more than that would just be torture.