Location: Morse and Glenwood. North east corner.
Anyone who follows what goes on around these parts of the city can only sit in amazement this morning and wonder how in the world a $4500 garbage can could possibly be "Out of Order?"
I could understand a cracked garbage can. A dented garbage can. A garbage can that's lost it's lid. But a garbage can that's "Out of Order?" That's frekin' amazing. So a word of warning to my waste loving friends. DevCorp North's $4500 dollar, solar-powered, garbage eating machine named 'Big Belly' is "Out of Order!"
More DevCorp North issues:
Craig-
On an unrelated note, but one one I thought you'd relate to---
Yesterday, my husband, daughter & I were heading out when we got to the Chase/Ashland intersection. On a good note, 5 cars had stopped to help a young woman get her car out of the plowed in parking space. She was the last space on the street, so everyone intentionally blocked the intersection in case the car slipped. While pushing, rocking and all the things you do to get a car out, a team of Dev Corp people walked by (in the middle of the street, not the sidewalk) with 3 cans full of shovels. They literally just sat there and stared. Never once did they offer to help or at least offer a shovel so she didn't have to go over the snow bank. You have to love it when a crew of 8 able bodies 20 somethings can't take the time to help 6 over forty men & women (not that we're not able bodied!)
To add to the anger that we all expressed over this once we got her out, we followed the crew for almost 2 blocks, (how could we not, they walked in the middle of the road?) and they never once did any work. I would love to have a job where all I have to do is walk around pushing a can of shovels.
Thanks for listening! Have a happy holiday season!
Amy
28 comments:
What a laughable waste of money. Multiply $4500 X all the cans to replace across the city, and you have enough money to repair a number of aging water mains that are about to collapse.
The sick part is that an ordinary trash can is never "out of order" unless it is overfull.
There ought to be some kind of charges we can put on the clown(s) who waste our money on crap like this. I hear that this was Joe Moore's idea. Can this kucklehead think of no better use for our money than this?
===There ought to be some kind of charges we can put on the clown(s) who waste our money on crap like this.. ===
Like criminal charges?
As I said, "Our 'tax funds' at work...for the DevCorp scam."
It is absolutely insane to spend $$ on nonsense like this
- The guys watching you push, I completely believe it! I have seen them many times with their shovels, etc just standing and walking around. I'm wondering: who pays them?? They aren't on contract through our alderman's office, are they??
How's the public view DevCorp North? Check out this neighborhood poll.
Razldazlrr said...
It is absolutely insane to spend $$ on nonsense like this
- The guys watching you push, I completely believe it! I have seen them many times with their shovels, etc just standing and walking around. I'm wondering: who pays them?? They aren't on contract through our alderman's office, are they??
9:21 AM
They are employed by DevCorp.
Has anyone noticed the Quizino's at the Howard El has closed up shop. I took the 147 up there to get some lunch yesterday to be completely shocked. The family that ran that store was very nice.
I wonder what caused them to close up.
This is certainly werid but uncalled for. How the hell can a GARBAGE CAN be out of order anyway? I never heard of something like that before and I really hope you all can press charges against DevCorp because that is uncalled for.
This concerns me too because even though I live in the Avondale neighborhood, I attend school in Rogers Park, and I think they're being real nasty with money or whatever reason.
I never understood that automated trash can stuff. These things were bound to breakdown and end up as useless eyesores. I mean, did the city actually think they were going to have a fans response crew to go around the city repairing these things? Any mechanical thing that is designed for constant use by the general public is going to get a lot of wear and tear and then you get this. And theír solar powered, right? I saw one in the SUBWAY! Granted there are lights in the subway and I guess it could work there but why??? Waste of freaking money.
These cans were, I believe, Joe Moore's idea originally.
How can this guy posture as an environmentalist by spending money on a super-fossil-fuel dependent trashcan, when a simple metal can is so much cheaper and takes so much less fuel to build and service?
The money spent on these things is very badly needed elsewhere. We could fund local youth programs, or clean up and improve our parks, or fix potholes, or improve the library at Sullivan High. I'm sure other posters can think of dozens of useful applications for the money spent on just one of these cans, where it would benefit many more RP residents and create less nuisance.
By the way, I have yet to see the $15,000 power washer DevCorp bought a couple years ago, in service. Any sightings?
Is there a way we can de-fund DevCorp? This useless organization is nothing but a moneysuck and a place to employ the alderman's cronies.
by spending money on a super-fossil-fuel dependent trashcan,
I was under the impression that these cans were supposed to be solar-powered compactors...
I get tired of picking up all the trash people in the neighborhood throw around. So last year I asked Joe Moore's office to install a few plain old regular metal garbage cans in the neighborhood. I was told he would not approve that because people fill the cans up with trash and he doesn't like that!! Maybe I should have asked for the $4500 cans.
===I asked Joe Moore's office to install a few plain old regular metal garbage cans in the neighborhood. I was told he would not approve that because people fill the cans up with trash and he doesn't like that!! ===
He's rather have people throw garbage on the ground, I guess?
I have heard that Joe and other aldercreatures are having public cans removed from the streets because a handful of people abuse them by tossing their household trash in them, being too lazy to walk to their own dumpsters with it. Mary Ann Smith, I hear, is doing the same thing, and so are other aldermen.
What BS! No wonder we have so much more trash scattered about the corner of Pratt & Sheridan.
And if you can't justify an ordinary can, how can you justify one that costs $4500?
I live along devon and glenwood- and see no problems with our wroght iron trash cans- they worked great today when I went to use one of them. This isn't rocket science- leave it to a politician and a businessman to make the simple act of throwing something away more difficult.
When will you all understand? Joe Moore is in it for the money! It's a part-time job where he does not have to exert himself, yet pays $110,556 per annum PLUS perks!
He is CARE-less--he does not care about YOU or ME or ANYONE but JOE MOORE. If that fact is not evident to you, you have your 'head in the sand', too.
I was told he would not approve that because people fill the cans up with trash
Yeah, don't they know that trash cans aren't for... um... they aren't meant to hold...um....
I guess the concept of regular garbage pick up is out of the question then...
I have also emailed several times about the trash cans and putting more in the neighborhood. The litter in Rogers Park is just horrible. I was also told about people putting their personal trash near the cans (which I have noticed the lazy idiots do!) but come on - you have to put trash cans out anyhow. You want more business up here and trash all over the ground???
I read the comments and decided to look at the product site. I think we should buy more. After many years of working with waste management companies and government entities (including Chicago) I have a good idea what we pay (labor, trucks, materials, etc...) to have our waste pick up.
With this product you only need to pick up the garbage one-fifth of the time, which in turns means a large sum of tax payer money that could be allocated somewhere else. (Cities Waste Management labor costs are huge, labor being the highest percentage and if a city contracts it out you pay by the pick up).
Also, those garbage cans on the streets are not that cheap (cheaply made) and run about $750 - $1500 a piece and are replaced often (the solar cans will easily pay for themselves with reallocation of labor resources alone). On another note, the City of New York stated in an article their Solar cans are running 99.9% of the time. Only due to vandalism are the failing.
Another note, if you are an environmentalist, Garbage Trucks are one the worst for the environment in the world.
Think about the total cost, not just the product to waste management. Let's try to do a little research prior to making an opinion or making comments.
With this product you only need to pick up the garbage one-fifth of the time,...
(the solar cans will easily pay for themselves with reallocation of labor resources alone).
That's WHEN they work, which is the entire point of the post. This can DOESN'T work, meaning all of those "savings" you speak of ain't happening right now. So now you have garbage near the can, on the ground, and now you have to get someone out there to fix the can, so now you have to pay some tech guy to repair it, so now in the meantime you have nowhere to toss your garbage.
They're a great idea, but as this story shows, they require maintenance, something a regular garbage can (mostly) doesn't need.
The Can does work according to the numerous comments and articles posted on the internet. Also, you can still throw garbage in the can even if the compaction system is down.
As stated previously, New York City stated a 0.01% downtime because of vandalizism. If a machine is operational 99.9% of the time, down 0.01% due to vandalism, as per the City of New York, that is a percentage, a product, I would definitely invest in.
Also, I am sure to fix a simple machine like this solar can is much less expensive than to pay for the mechanics and wear and tear for the garbage trucks. 5 times more trips with current garbage pick up system than with solar compaction.
This is a positive product that offers alternatives to how our tax dollars could be used. Let my tax money go to the schools, police, fire department, training etc…instead of the huge cost for the countless hours needed to pick up trash.
The Can does work according to the numerous comments and articles posted on the internet. Also, you can still throw garbage in the can even if the compaction system is down.
It "works" when it's WORKING. The point of this post on this blog is that this particular can on this particular street is NOT working. And, yes, you can still put trash in the solar can... up to a point. Like any can it does get filled. And if the compaction components is not working (like this one), then there is a capacity.
How long has this particular can been broken now? What are the plans for fixing it? Or does it just continue to sit there like an eyesore until...?
This is a positive product that offers alternatives to how our tax dollars could be used.
Read this:
Solar Powered Storage heaps
Just to clarify Len, I'm not against solar power. But if this can isn't being serviced after several days, thereby rendering it usless and pointless, what happenes when they are placed all over the city. Do you expect a quick response from THIS city when it comes to repairing them? And trust me, they will be damaged by the public, they will be broken after having things that aren't intented to be put inside them jammed in the chute.
Finally, I'm for recycling, not packing our garbage up in a nice, neat bundle and tossing it in a field. we need a strong and reliable system of recycling to solve our problems not something that will ultimately only give us more room for more junk.
MOTS: the link doesn't go anywhere??
Len Chicago: You state you have a background in waste management matters. Do you sell these solar powered trash receptacles or have some other 'vested' interested in them? Just asking because you seem to be such a strong advocate for them and I have never seen/read any previous comments from you on any other 'community' matters.
I do not know how long the Can has been sitting there with a sign, but I do know a picture of a hand written note on notebook paper does not give conclusive evidence the Can is not working. Maybe someone just wanted to get attention or bring down a good idea.
My point is if this system (concept) is implemented on a grander scale it will free up a lot of resources (tax dollars) to be better allocated, even towards a more efficient recycling program. I can not argue downtime because of misuse, it is a factor that is uncontrollable, but again, a 0.01% downtime was reported by New York City because of misuse (vandalized). Not a big percentage, especially in New York City, in the overall picture.
It is not about more room for junk, it is about a more efficient, cost effective way to pick up junk while being more environmentally friendly (less trucks on the road).
Research City Waste Management cost / allocation of taxes to this area and decide for yourself if we need to try something new, even something that has already proven itself in other major cities.
Numbers / Applications are there to prove the benefits of the system. If you want to judge your opinion off of one picture with a home made sign and no substantial statistics (facts) that is your choice.
MCL,
I usually do not get involved in blogs / chat rooms. Vacation day so I was browsing the interet, came across this posting and the contents interested me.
No vested interest. I just do not like it when people express opinions, make decisions without knowing the facts or do not try to understand the big picture. It took me only five minutes to find out the basics of the Can/Statistics/Customer base. So with that, and my history, I entered this blog.
I think it is an idea / concept that should be further looked into because it offers options.
Just stating my opinion based on the facts.
Sorry, try this...
Solar Powered Can
I do not know how long the Can has been sitting there with a sign, but I do know a picture of a hand written note on notebook paper does not give conclusive evidence the Can is not working.
True enough, but I don't know why someone would place an "out of order" sign on a working solar trash can unless, I don't know, they have some thing against trash compactors. Likewise, I don't know why someone take the time to take a photo of and post a short blurb about a non-working solar trash can that was, in fact, actually working. But I supposed if you're conspiracy-minded, yeah, all of that solar power trash can-chicanery could be possible.
thanks for the info Len - I guess bottom line is it's a nice product if it works and if when it breaks, someone fixes it in a reasonable timeframe
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