I’ve definitely been an advocate and promoter for city services especially refuse, recycle and yard waste collection and bulk pick up but being a first time user of the bulk pick up service I must say I am very disappointed in my service request not being fulfilled. I came home to find that it hadn’t been picked up and when I looked up the ticket number it had been marked closed with no explanation. I called Columbus311 this morning and was told that it was construction debris! I advised that I didn’t understand how because it consisted of larger household items, furniture, trash cans, pictures, buckets, brooms etc that would not fit in my 90 gallon trash receptacle. I also said that I had a shopping cart nearby that frequently ends up in our alley and it was sitting next to it as well as two large glass door inserts that were going to be picked up by someone else but in no way was included in the bulk pickup. Apparently since they were in close proximately that warranted not picking up anything and that they don’t “pick thru” the items to ascertain what will be taken. Given that the bulk items were all grouped together I ponder what sorting thru had to be done. I figured they just saw what they wanted to see and concluded that it was all construction debris instead of realizing the items grouped together as household bulk. Puts a sour taste in one’s mouth who has always advocated bulk service and always worked hard to keep our alley the best in the area and unfortunately another example of advocating for services that end up being problematic after encouraging neighbors to use the services. I did get a call from the supervisor who is still researching what had happened but said it will be picked up tomorrow. Meanwhile I’m out there looking at the pile of remaining items as several pieces seemed worthwhile for others to want (well aside from the mop I had put out and found one street over yesterday evening when I was out walking the dog with my neighbor!) to be sure nothing “appeared” to be construction debris.

Sigh, my time is short here – I’m worn out and I’m pretty serious when I say my next home will be out in the country with my only worries being fending off the wildlife!

[Update: 08/10/18/Friday/All picked up this morning!]

#bulk
#services
#ServiceFail
#trash
#community
#WestgateHeights
#WestgateHeightsCommunityAlliance
#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#OH
#Ohio

A new family on the street shared with me about the terrifying incident of finding a mouse in their house! I said welcome to the west side Hilltop of Columbus, Ohio and that thankfully with the soon removal of the 300 gallon trash receptacles, this may help alleviate part of this problem. Now of course my neighbor behind me that hasn’t spoken to me for over a year because he was and is convinced that I caused the removal of the 300 gallon trash receptacles in my alley causing him a tremendous hardship of having to wheel his 90 gallon trash receptacle out to the alley every Wednesday via his totally filled up two car garage. Of course my suggestion of him fixing his damn gate might help with his current plight and inconvenience but alas being a maintenance person of several properties on the westside, he just didn’t feel he should have to fix his gate to take out the trash and that the city is violating his rights because of this! Now back to the mice, I find it interesting with all the stray and feral cats running the neighborhood that we really shouldn’t have such a problem but again alas with all the kind hearted folk who insist on putting out cat food on their porches and on abandoned properties to feed these little darlings; Well why work to eat when you can just wait to be fed? A truly American concept, no?

#mouse
#house
#trash
#cats
#FeralCats
#StrayCats
#GonnaMissMyHouse
#GonnaMissMyHood
#GonnaMissColumbusOH
#GonnaMissColumbusOhio
#GonnaMissColumbus
#WestgateHeights
#WestgateHeightsCommunityAlliance
#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#OH
#Ohio