The guy that survives on no money.

[Christ]

Speaking of portion sizes... there is a place in NYC that makes Pastrami sandwiches with the express intent of their customers NOT being able to finish the 1+lb sandwich. It's quite disturbing and wasteful.

I say screw society. I went to the Chinese restaurant in town a few weeks ago, and while my wife and I were sharing a plate, the family seated behind us ordered an entire platter of General Tso's Chicken, but never touched it. The waitress came out to clean off the table, and as she was cleaning up around it, I grabbed the plate and placed it on my own table. I then called a friend of mine, who was greatly appreciative of the free chicken feast he was just given by some wasteful family.

As a means of survival, I've literally eaten garbage. As a means of just being cheap, I've salvaged "expired" food from dumpsters. In fact, there was a whole group of people "caught" doing so behind a grocery store local to me. That grocery store now locks up their trash bins. They actually got mad, saying that "if we let you take our garbage, you'll just wait for us to throw it away." They pressed charges on several people for theft by unlawful taking (of garbage).

Instead of letting those who couldn't otherwise afford it, have it, they're more interested in maintaining a profit margin. Shameful, at best. I still do it on occasion, but not nearly as often as I used to, due to increase police presence in the area. Meanwhile, most of the things I own used to be someone else's garbage, including Cara.

[Frank Lee]

Food waste is epidemic... all pervasive... it's... just... so.... MADDENING!!!

I've worked in the restaurant industry. People will order an x-large pizza, eat two pieces out of it, and send the rest to the dumpster. WE OFFERED SMALLER PIZZAS!!! If it only happened once, I wouldn't have brought it up. But it happens ALL THE TIME. Restaurants DO offer smaller portions, or try to... then nobody buys them. I ate out with a (scrawny) couple who both ordered the same entree, then they both proceeded to eat just a tiny portion (no complaint about the order), then they both left the bulk of it for the dumpster. DAH! Restaurants will glady split an order and bring another plate. Or box it up for you to take home. I just knew that those two made a regular habit of nibbling then tossing the rest.

Buffets!!! I wonder what the stats are there for food consumed vs. food wasted!!! They should charge extra if the customer doesn't clean their plate (or, charge all customers the same but give a rebate for those who clean their plates). OMG. I've seen families literally empty an entire bin of an item (ex. eggrolls, or shrimp) then leave it on the table virtually untouched when they go. Or- rather- if there are kids (anyone under 25 ) the remaining food is all over the floor.

I've personally grabbed food from other tables in restaurants too. Hey, if I observed the patron the whole time and I know it's untouched, and they didn't sneeze all over it, then I'm all over it. You should see the looks of shock and disgust I've gotten by doing that. Actually, what should be shocking is that almost nobody DOES do that.

I'm a farmboy, alright? I love farm animals. We had crops too. I know the work it takes to produce commodities. It makes me LIVID when people treat food so callously, ESPECIALLY meats. Taking a bite out of a sandwich and tossing the rest means that poor animal gave it's life in vain. There shouldn't be any legal penalty for me if I go kick someone's *** for wasting meat, should there? If there was any justice there wouldn't be.

Reminds me- I was out for supper yesterday and when I arrived at the restaurant on my electric bicycle I parked next to an SUV, which I noted was idling and there was nobody in it. OK, so I order, wait, eat, take my time, all that. Finally I leave and that damned SUV is STILL idling. They must have wanted to run the A/C? Well it was 75 and dry out!!! It took all my willpower not to approach Mr. Idleballs and tell him "Did you know the U.S. has 3% of the world's population yet consumes 50% of the world's energy?" but I refrained because... well... who am I to ruin some stranger's dinner out? And would that have the desired effect anyway? Was I wrong to let it slide? What I'd really like to do is go in there, shut it off and grab the keys, and throw them on the nearest roof. But then I'D be the one in trouble! Go figure!

Dumpsters- ya know, I never set out to be a dumpster diver; it just happened by accident. There is SO MUCH in there that's perfectly good that the crime is in NOT taking it and properly utilizing it. As noted above, local bidnesses frown on diving and have gone to compactors, completely removing outside access to the goodies. They suck. It's not like they lost any sales. I wasn't going to purchase any of that stuff in the first place, and I don't go in there to purchase it now, and as far as that being "theft", well by putting it in the dumpster they essentially declared it was waste to them right? But I was more than happy to salvage it.

It's not a question of what I can afford. I can buy tons of crap just like everybody else. I just have this thing about waste I guess.

[Christ]

RE: Keys in the SUV

I've been known to do a few dick-ish things when I see this... such as setting the parking brake and leaving it idle in gear. Removing the keys, but leaving the lights and extraneous voltage drainers on. Brick on the gas pedal. Turn the heat on high, and leave it that way.

All, of course, before I adopted my current lifestyle. I used to be quite the evil child.

The worst one I've ever done was publicly announcing that someone had left their car idle for an extended period in a restaurant. I got kicked out for it. I literally stood next to my table, and called out something like "Excuse me - If you are the owner of X SUV, please, stop increasing gas prices, and shut the damn thing off. There is no need for it to idle while you're eating in this restaurant, and we'd all like to be able to afford to drive home - Thank you."

Someone got up and left, apparently embarrassed. Shortly thereafter, the manager comp'd my meal and asked me to not come back. Fair enough, I suppose.

RE: Dumpster diving - When I lived in Endicott, NY, a short time ago, I used to pick up computers and components on the side of the road, every Wednesday night, just before trash was picked up on Thursday.

One time, a man waited up well into the night, so that he could see who was "stealing his trash". Apparently, he was upset that someone had found value in that which he did not. He evidenced this by stating loudly: "It ain't worth dick!" To which I replied - "Then why do you care if I take it?".

When that man threatened to call the cops, myself knowing fully well that at this point, the law was on my side *for once in my life*, I volunteered my phone to him. Promptly, (surprising) the officer showed up, and told the man that even if there was anything he could do, he wouldn't bother. Any time someone feels like picking up the garbage left behind by the more wasteful people in the city, it saves the city landfill space, even if it's just a little bit, so they actually encourage people to snoop trash, as long as you're not disturbing others or making a mess. Once you put it on the little patch of grass across the sidewalk, it's not yours anymore. It belongs to the municipality in which you live, but you have the right to take it back, until it hits the truck.

The guy started purposely not putting his trash out until the garbage truck was right there. I found this amusing, because he was so disgusted by my actions that he would intentionally put himself out, just to stop me from doing something that I would simply do at the next house down the line anyway. I hope he was happy for what he'd done, because it affected me and my goals not in the least.

Rent-A-Center is famous for throwing away salvageable stuff and really nice furniture because of simple problems, like small rips or stains.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by Christ

As a means of survival, I've literally eaten garbage. As a means of just being cheap, I've salvaged "expired" food from dumpsters. In fact, there was a whole group of people "caught" doing so behind a grocery store local to me. That grocery store now locks up their trash bins. They actually got mad, saying that "if we let you take our garbage, you'll just wait for us to throw it away." They pressed charges on several people for theft by unlawful taking (of garbage).

What is garbage, anyway? At what point does something cease being something and suddenly become garbage? When it touches the inside of the trash bin? When it drops to the floor? When someone decides they're not going to eat anymore? Is an untouched piece of pizza, sitting on a plate at an empty table in a restaurant garbage? Does it already have cooties? Will you get sick if you touch it? How is it different from 10 minutes ago when its "owner" was still sitting at the table?

I've given these questions to people who commented my opinion about eating something that's hit the floor ("5 second rule") or sticking my hand into the garbage bin. Things I pull out of a trash can were in someone else's hand just an hour ago and they weren't disgusting then, were they? Well, what happened in the can, some super-fast chemical process? Geez, for most people the trash bin is a black hole - anything that goes in can't come out. But the garbage bin under my kitchen sink is just as clean as a box on the shelf. I wash it every now and then, so there are no biological microcultures living in there. Even if there are a few bacteria, and they somehow make it to my intestines, then chances are slim that it will do me any harm. Most likely nothing will happen, at best my body will be that much richer.

In my opinion, garbage should be public the moment it hits the curb. If its owner doesn't want it, then let someone else have a look before the truck comes to get it.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

What is garbage, anyway? At what point does something cease being something and suddenly become garbage? When it touches the inside of the trash bin? When it drops to the floor? When someone decides they're not going to eat anymore? Is an untouched piece of pizza, sitting on a plate at an empty table in a restaurant garbage? Does it already have cooties? Will you get sick if you touch it? How is it different from 10 minutes ago when its "owner" was still sitting at the table?

I've given these questions to people who commented my opinion about eating something that's hit the floor ("5 second rule") or sticking my hand into the garbage bin. Things I pull out of a trash can were in someone else's hand just an hour ago and they weren't disgusting then, were they? Well, what happened in the can, some super-fast chemical process? Geez, for most people the trash bin is a black hole - anything that goes in can't come out. But the garbage bin under my kitchen sink is just as clean as a box on the shelf. I wash it every now and then, so there are no biological microcultures living in there. Even if there are a few bacteria, and they somehow make it to my intestines, then chances are slim that it will do me any harm. Most likely nothing will happen, at best my body will be that much richer.

In my opinion, garbage should be public the moment it hits the curb. If its owner doesn't want it, then let someone else have a look before the truck comes to get it.

To clarify about eating "garbage" -

Literally garbage. Food that was being thrown away because it COULDN'T be sold, be it due to mold or other reasons. I still do this to this day. Bread gets a little mold growing on it, I just remove that section of the bread. Cheese, cut off the end. Meat gets a little dark, cook it anyway. You can't get diseases from properly cooked foods.

I've been to the point where I've bought floor scraps from butchers... ya know, the "undesirable" ground meat that people buy for dog food. Mix it with boiled rice, and it's a decent meal. 3 lbs lasts an entire week for one person like myself, and it only cost about $1.00 to make, plus fuel, etc.

I don't consider it garbage unless I won't touch it. And that takes alot. I guess when you call a highway bridge home, you kinda learn what's really garbage and what could be your proverbial "t-bone".

[Frank Lee]

Ha ha, I scored a push gas lawnmower at the "garbage curb" once. The thing looked like BRAND NEW, but it was missing it's wheels and throttle cable.

So I get it home and all it needed to start easily and run like a swiss watch was a carb cleaning. Well, then I had to scrounge wheels and a cable, but they did turn up for free.

I'm out there mowing my yard and the previous owner (from right down the block) is out for a walk and man is that guy eyeballing me and my nice new mower! LMAO

I felt like asking him if he was enjoying his wheels and cable, but I didn't.

[blueflame]

In life's wilderness,
Choked by the weeds of error -
Bloom of beauty: truth.

Truth ...

“Is the opposite of lies.”
“What is truth but what we believe to be truth?”
“I don't believe that there's one truth. There are so many different people, and there are so many different ways you can look at things. I don't see how there could be just one truth.”

[Christ]

Haiku...

Frank - Got a snowblower like that b/c the "transmission was bad". Adjusted the drive linkage, and it works fine now. Literally, pull cotter pin, twist threaded rod, push cotter pin back in, starts right up, still has gas in it, fresh oil change, (apparently, that was a diagnostic procedure... ), and now it works fine, too. Gave it to my Wife's Father.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Piwoslaw

Personally I have nothing against eating someone's left-overs. On many occasions I've polished off someone's plate.

But again, that's not mooching. Mooching is when you show up at your friend's house around dinner time, getting him to make twice as much food as he otherwise would. In other words, he's working harder in order to feed you, while you get fed without the bother of working.

[dcb]

my last gas snowblower was from the curb down the street . Just needed a $2 V belt and an improvised chute crank. I threw some rattlecan black on it too just cuz I didn't want it recognized