So, what is it with my back lane, and my dumpster in particular? Why do people drive their trucks down my lane? And why do they dump their garbage in my dumpster? Yesterday afternoon around 5:50pm I looked out my back window. I saw a white half ton truck stopped in behind my property. Of course I was curious. Who stopped behind the house? And what are they doing? I kept watching to see what was going on. Someone got out of the truck and jumped into the back of it. Then the truck drove ahead a few feet, and stopped at the dumpster in behind my yard. And the guy in the back of the truck dumped something from the truck into the dumpster. Then the truck moved on. I got a quick picture of the truck, told my husband there was someone in the lane dumping garbage, then got my shoes on and headed out to the lane.
Of course, by the time we got to the back lane, the truck was down the lane. It was stopping at each dumpster or so, and slowly emptying the contents of the truck into the dumpsters down my lane. Then it went down the next lane, and the next. It was too far away to get a good picture, and I was not able to catch up to it before it turned. I saw the truck turned left, so I cut over to the next street over. I wanted to try and catch the truck coming back down the street. But it came back as far as Salter, then turned up Salter Street. I wasn't able to get any real information on the truck or the dumpers.
I don't sit at my back window all day waiting for these people, so I can witness the actions and possibly catch these dumpers red handed. I just happen to be watering my plants in the window boxes and noticed someone dumping garbage. I am sure there are many more people driving down my back lane, and the other lanes in the North End, dumping much more garbage than I am witness to myself on a daily basis. And it seems these people are getting smarter. They have developed a fast moving system of dumping, that is difficult to document in a way that will allow me to submit the complaint to the By-Law department. As you know, I need a description of the dumpers and the license plate and vehicle description.
The thought has occurred to me that I should set up camera surveillance in order to catch these pesky garbage criminals. Or maybe the City should set it up. Oh who am I kidding, if the City cared they would have done that long ago. But I am thinking a camera is in order to get the needed evidence to stop these illegal dumpers from using my back lane as their land fill. Hmmm, I wonder what type of camera I should use. And where would I put it. Hmmm.
I bought a pinhole camera from ebay a couple years ago. I set it up in my garage window with a view of my carport and the alley. Cost about $20, gives a decent picture. Can be run off a battery or a plug.
ReplyDeleteProbably won't get clear plates or faces from more than 20 feet, but does remarkably well. Something like this would work pretty well for you. Set it to record to VHS and keep overwriting the tape if nothing happens.
I got it after getting sick of people coming in my yard stealing what is not bolted down. The camera, plus a small sign above the camera pointing to the camera has helped reduce amount of uninvited people in my yard. Right at face level when they walk by the window.
I hear the auto-bins/dumpsters are being phased out. I really don't like the look of the ugly black house bins we all get, but cheap buggers who load our bins with construction crap or stuff they are too lazy or cheap to take to the dump will be thwarted. We have exactly the same problem here any street that is close to a major street gets, like Euclid or Sutherland, the residents bins are filled with other peoples junk. Also all the furniture that is left beside our bins is ridiculous , I just can't believe that poor people have so much furniture to throw away.
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