City of Seattle Still Suckers for Hi-Tech Toys

"Starheadboy" courtesy of Seattlest Flickr Pool member slightlynorth

The sly movin' Parks Department decided to remove nearly 400 trash cans from city parks. Hoping to save $160,000, they encouraged park-goers to embrace a "pack in-pack out" policy. Now they are considering the use of $4,000 solar-powered compacting trash cans that don't need to be emptied as often, alleviating the cost of constantly taking out the trash.

Ummmm, Seattle, did we not learn our lesson from the $5-million, self-cleaning toilets? Need we remind you, the illegal-activity-producing auto-toilets were bought in a fit of restroom glorification, only to be sold a year later on eBay for $12,549?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's do some quick math. Removing 400 trash cans saves the $160,000; the city's solution to save more money includes purchasing $4,000, solar-powered trash cans. So before it's a wash, the city can only purchase up to 40 replacement trash cans (that's only 360 to go!). You don't have to have a garbage-ology degree to know that trash has a better chance of ending up in a can that's 50 feet away, as opposed to one every 500 feet.

Just give us our trash cans back, dammit! Stop making this harder than it needs to be.

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By Kim P. in News on May 26, 2009 3:30 PM

Comments [rss]

Seth

All that garbage is going to attract even MORE bears.

Troy Morris

This city is making my head explode. We want to make 60% of our garbage recycled, so what do we do? Take away garbage cans in alleys and in parks. MWahahahahaha

And @jezbian -- same thing at Volunteer park in regards to the bathrooms. A sign stated they'd be closed at 7:30pm "today." Looks like nobody showed up for work Monday (or the signage was not fully explicit). I had to run all the way across the park to the other toilets.

Matt the Engineer

That was clearly a plan to get greenlakians a bit more exercise

Balzaak

really? removing trash cans will prevent litter? wait, lets all say that out loud now. Next, lets take a look at a place like gasworks on July 5th (the day after a big event at said location) and see how motivated people are to clean up after themselves.

was the abuse of the self cleaning toilets really as bad as it appeared or was it just a loud group of anal retentive people who doesn't mind having people defecate in alleyways?

I love how Seattle is so short sighted that they will blow taxpayers money building something, then blow more of it by removing what they just built, then blow even more money trying to replace it (and repeat)

jezbian

interestingly enough, i was @ greenlake with a friend & her daughter yesterday (memorial day) - we were near the community center, and when nature called, i attempted to go use the room of rest located in the community center bldg...to no avail.

the women's room was locked! WTF? is seattle parks & rec trying to cut corners on bathroom costs too? would they rather have us all using the lake as loo?

today when walking around greenlake i stoped 2 parks & rec workers who were in a truck to ask them what they thought of the plan - they said that it's mostly to get people to take the compostable parts of their detritus home so compostables don't end up in the landfill (as the stickers on the garbage cans state) and that more recycling containers will be place in parks...the silver lining perhaps?

also one of the workers mentioned that they spent ALL DAY yesterday @ greenlake picking up trash...and they didn't get to it all (i saw proof of that)

parks & rec employees are NOT paid to be trash collectors/sanitation engineers, and i for one fear that thoughtless a-holes will just toss their crap wherever they want now.

jwhieger

I don't know what's dumber, spending $4000 on a trash can or assuming random park goers are going to go to the park to pick up other random folks garbage?

On a nice day so many flock to this area, if this policy persists it's going to look like a mini Calcutta before too long.

Joe G

Who's ever idea this was should be smacked asap! I hate when i can't find a trash can. It makes it even harder for me and others I'm sure to pick up random litter that you see. I find myself only picking up litter around town as well as in parks when i see a trash can within reasonable walking distance. GRRRRRRRR! This is frustrating.