>

I agree this always rubbed me the wrong way, they do the work no one wants to do but is essential to a functioning society, without them we’d be over filled in our own trash. And it’s not like they’re swimming in trash they’re collecting it from container to container it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be
Depends on where you're from, the shift in mentality in my country was pretty fast once we saw the salary. >

What country? >

If you can get into a unionized position, it's one of the few jobs left with a retirement pension plan.  
To be honest, I have tremendous respect for them. They're out in shitty weather dealing with unknown waste hazards.  Sometimes they're at risk of being hit by vehicles. >

Mhm! They deserve utmost respect >

Honestly yeah, none of us want to live in a world where we have to deal with our own rubbish. It's a service we all benefit from yet people have the audacity to look down on those providing it. >

Don't they make decent money?
It's one of those secret jobs that everyone thinks is bad but is actually good? >

52k where I live >

You'll make 100k+ near me with the right company. Blue collar jobs are talked down in high school but can easily make as much or more than a job with a degree without student debt. You just have to be willing to do physical labor. >

Thing is mental jobs you can do well into your 70s, physical jobs your body is shot by 55 >

You should be a manager of some type by then or else you’ve kinda failed at it >

I wanted the job, like really bad. It's actually fun, may stink a little in the summer, you think it's raining, no it's just maggots dropping on your skin.
The pay isn't bad, where I'm from and you can start work early and be done early. Most people I met there are also fun guys. You are all over your city, always eating somewhere else, always doing your break on the outside. It's a pretty good job to have, imo. >

Ewwww they do deserve more respect than they’re given because I definitely would not want that. I hate bad smells and those type of worms. >

Yeah, I can understand that. I don't care about the smell, you only see maggots during the summer and if you are on a certain tour let's say, you don't see them in paper or plastic trash. >

When I was a kid I wanted to be a garbage man when I grew up! I thought they were the coolest dudes. >

They get to ride on the OUTSIDE of a moving vehicle. How kickass is that? >

The exact reason I thought they were so cool. From ages 4-6 I would hang off the sides of things, pretending to be hanging onto a garbage truck. >

My mom used to take me to the grocery store and I’d hang off the side of the shopping cart and pretend the groceries we put in the cart was garbage we were picking up. >

I was a garbage man once, for three years. Garbage men are treated amazing by their customers. We'd also get treats and drinks. Lots of friendly conversations. Get to see boobs once in a while. Around Christmas you'd get all kinds of gifts and money. People would give you stuff all the time. >

Sorry love, no time for the ol' in-out.  Just hear to empty the bin. >

It seems like wherever you are, people just suck >

You could even say: they are treated like garbage. 😬 >

That's rubbish >

Easy now, no need for trash talk >

I "refuse" to stop >


People go around saying "you will end up like them, collecting garbage" I hate this because who wants to collect nasty garbage, not many people want to do the garbage.

...yes, that's exactly what the people you're complaining about are saying. It's a job most people don't want to do, and they're warning their audience to change their habits or wine up having to do an unpleasant job due to a lack of other options. >

People who are insecure about making a shit salary (40k or less a year) need a reason to feel better than others. Little do these ignorant people know that garbage collectors in NYC can make upwards of 100k >

Feel like that stigma is gone now to be completely honest. It’s pretty universally known now that they make fat stacks of money. Dirty for sure but great pay. >

No. Their pay is not amazing. At best your making 52k/year.
There are many many jobs where the baseline is better than that >

I guess I only know the pay ranges from where I’ve seen. California and Arizona easily start at around 100k >

In my area it's still around 52k. People still disrespect garbage men >

You’re very stubborn and relentless ☺️ >

What you’re failing to take away from this thread is that the company your city has a contract with sucks, pay-wise. Overall, the average is higher for pay. People revere waste management employees, as we would literally be lost without them (that happened in my city last year, the new company is treated like a godsend). 
I know a dude who literally left his job as a truck driver for a $28,000 salary increase to be a supervisor for the new waste management company. I have no clue how much he makes, but I know the company he worked for started out at $21/hour, so well above 52k. That’s also important to remember- that’s the starting. You can always move up. >

If garbage men are treated so terribly, why do I see  so many posts on Reddit each week trying to promote the occupation as a career while telling people with advanced degrees they’re the ultimate evil? >

Because people online are different than ones irl >

Ignoring you using garbage collectors specifically, here is nothing wrong with telling people especially children that there are jobs that they are not going to want to do (even if someone has to do it). I know little about garbage collectors but in general I would avoid (and suggest people) avoid jobs that are difficult and pay little. Talking down to someone who has that job is obviously not nice but that is not the same as suggesting some jobs suck worse than others. >

In California you have homeless living and shitting on the streets. You want to scare your kid into doing their homework you dont need to point at garbagemen, point at the homeless >

That is true. >

You're right, they are looked down upon by most people.... Myself, i have lots of respect for them because i couldn't do their job without gagging/puking.... >

Or needing back surgery >

People say things. Who cares? They are up, and done working before most people roll out of bed. You barely see them. They get paid well in most cities. They go home, short up, and you don't know what they do. >

My city, they are treated like trash and paid like trash >

My town switched to automated pick up years ago. The driver never leaves the cab. >

i don't think this unpopular