tired of garbage

[statestreet]

After confronting a "customer" today and asking them to remove the 45 gallon bag of garbage they placed in one of my garbage cans without using any of my services and being told I was a hole in a donkeys cousin and that they would never use my wash again, I have decided that I am going to remove my garbage cans and not accept trash anymore. I am sure this will upset the local paper carriers, pet owners, wine drinkers, and all the other non-paying "customers" that I have aquired over the years. Seriously trash is the number one, without exception, biggest pain I have as a wash owner. Has anyone else gone to the extreme of eliminating their trash receptacles? What have other owners done that has proven successful to curb this problem.

 

[cebo]

My bunch would just throw it on the ground. I put those lids with the smaller spring loaded openings on them and it took care of most of the big stuff. I went to the paper when the carriers started leaving stuff and pitched one. Next bundle was gonna be dropped back at their office. It stopped. This will be interesting but I bet a lot of trash will end up on the ground.

 

[cdreed06]

Interestingly enough, the other day I removed a can from our truck bay and put it in another area just a short distance away. Yesterday morning I found a pile of trash in the corner and another pile on top of the coin box. I hear you on this being the biggest pain. We once had a van come and went to every can and filled it with bags and piled bags on top. Never spent a dime with us. I always threaten (to my wife) that I'll take the bag they "forgot" and leave it on their front lawn. But I haven't yet....

 

[Jeff_L]

I won't take away the cans, but it's a problem at my washes and at others that I visit. I just eagle eye my lot when I'm there, they know it's wrong. I have no other solution. However, I do return household trash bags to their owners when they leave them. I figure they misplaced them and would like them back.

 

[Randy]

After 34 years of being a transfer site for the dump for household garbage I got tired of it and just recently installed a HD camera system. In the past I had to dig through the bags of garbage looking for 3 pieces of mail before I would call the police. In the state of Washington it’s “Theft of Services” to dump your household garbage at a business, it’s a mandatory court appearance with up to a $500 fine, plus $85 per bag restitution and the police will send them a summons to appear in court. A few times they blow off going to court for whatever reason. The court then issues a $1500 bench warrant for their arrest. Then when they get stopped for a traffic violation they go to jail, their car is towed, they don't like it when they send you an invitation to the party and you don't show up. This has happened a few times. Now with the HD 1080P cameras all I have to do is pull up the video, call the police they come down review the video and send a summons to the registered owner of the vehicle for “Theft of Services”. I've had the police at my car wash 16 times so far this year. I'm not about to load up there garbage and take it back them, some these people live 15 - 20 miles away. It's a whole more fun to get the police and the court system involved. I tried to upload a picture of the last person who was cited but it's to big of a picture. If your thinking about a camera system, don't waste your money on anything but HD 1080P, it's sharp and crystal clear.

 

[Waxman]

I still keep the cans out but my approach is a bit different; I had some decals made saying $2 to start the vacuums. Yes 100% price increase. It is justified by many cost increases, including the trash that is left at night and on bad weather days when people think they are being slick leaving trash without washing or vacuuming. I'd rather collect more from every vac customer to offset the expense rather than chase down folks for theft of services.

 

[Randy]

Waxman I don’t chase anyone down. That’s the policeman’s job to enforce the laws that we have. I pay a lot in property taxes and I’m going to use every bit of the services I pay for. I don’t think that everyone should have to pay for the ones who want to take advantage of the business garbage can. $2.00 to vacuum, how much time do you give for $2.00?

 

[statestreet]

Has anyone seen or had experience with a garbage can which requires the customer to pay to deposit garbage. This may be a new revenue source which helps eliminate an old problem.

 

[Randy]

If I remember correctly, I think Kleen-Rite was selling one a few years ago, I don’t think it was overly popular. I think it would led to garbage bring left on or near the trash receptacle.

 

[Waxman]

no i didnt mean you chased everyone down; i mean even my time to look at the recording, call police etc.

it'll be 5 min of vac time.

the price increase isnt a punishment for the trash left; it's a way to mitigate the ever-increasing costs (which happen to include extra trash people leave in order to save themselves time/money of curbside pickup at home or trip to the landfill).

 

[mmurra]

That is another reason to go to a gated wash concept if at all possible, as I have no more problems with trash.Nice!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

How does the garbage truck get to the dumpster?

 

[Greg Pack]

Vac island teepees that restrict the size of the trash being inserted, along with signage prohibiting dumping have helped me in the past. At one place I had two garbage cans on each island and they were full almost every day. I went to single cans with locking teepees and those cans were still full every day, but there were only half as many and it reduced the volume of garbage considerably.

The gated "pay one price" self serve operators say that is one of the things they love about their format. You can't drive on their lot and make a mess for free.

 

[chaz]

$2 for vac. Yeah, I keep thinking of going that route. Now I'm $1 for 4 minutes. How much time do you give fo $2

 

[Waxman]

i think it's gonna be $2 for 5 min.

 

[Twodose]

Here is what I did >

I have since went from an 8 yard container being full to the top and then some, to a 6 yard that is never full, still do a great vac business, just allot less garbage.

 

[ICEMAN]

garbage is unfortunately part of this business. I have teepee style vac islands. What I did was to weld a cross over the hole to make putting large items in the can harder. I also have signs stating "vacs are for paying customers, all others will be prosecuted." I charge 1.75 for 3 minutes, soon going to 2 dollars. My competition is 1 for 4 min and he always has tons of trash. Raising prices usually results in higher income and less scumbags. Most people if they dump trash put money in and drive off, thinking they will be arrested. They are the ones who still think small town cops actually do their jobs. Scumbags know how ineffective cops are and dont care so they dump anyway.

 

[mmurra]

IB- The garbage truck has a key to the service entrance. Mark

 

[99Roadking]

I had a terrible problem for the first year we were in business. I have the containers in each vac island with a chrome domed lid over each one. The containers are 55 gallon barrels cut in half so a couple bags of household waste and people begin stacking it up on the islands. Keep in mind that was are in a rural area so the "Word" travels fast. I started putting on my latex gloves and taking the bags behind the facility and opening them up. Inside is where you find address labels on magazines and junk mail etc. So I loaded it in the back of my truck and put my wife behind the wheel driving me to these locations. Once there I would launch the bag of trash back into the yard of the individuals that illegally dropped it off at our facility. So what can they say or do? Yes....word does travel fast in rural areas.

 

[Burky]

I have also considered returning their missing items, with the address all over the papers inside the trash bag it was tempting. I decided to contact the police and let them handle it instead. (Hopefully they did) I have no trash cans at my wash but see the benefit of having them, particularly at the vacuums. I have been open 5 months and have picked up quite a bit of “vehicular trash” cups, plates, fast food bags etc. Normal trash from a normal person cleaning out their vehicle, not the crazies that need to police to get involved. Any one have success with no trash cans long term even at the vacumms? I have also received a google review asking for trash cans... I am thinking I should get a few trash cans but I don't want to become the local landfill.