Editor:

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article, in frustration, about how the trash collector gave me a citation for overloading my recycle cart, then left the overload trash on the street. After I sent it, I had regrets that perhaps it was too strong, so I revised it and asked you to print the revision instead. You said you would, but last Friday the original letter appeared in the paper. No big deal.

For the record, though, I am not angry with the trash man. He was only doing what he was told to do. I was upset that he didn't just toss the excess bag in his truck.

My beef is with businesses and government agencies in general that seem to provide less service, charge more and expect you to do their job, or even worse, extract savings at your expense like pumping your own gas, bagging your own groceries. Or like restaurants that save on staff by having you wait for an empty table, or the car wash where you sit in your car wasting gas while the car washers multi-task. The post office that groups mail boxes in clusters for its convenience and makes you walk a half block for your mail.

I won't even go near all the institutions that answer their phones with a recording instead of a human being. All of our agents are busy helping other customers. Please stay on the line. Your call is important to us.

Like, yeah. I lost my wallet a week or so ago; and spent days talking to recordings. They have improved, but it is still difficult for someone like me, with false teeth, to be understood by a recording.

All these work improvements, these labor saving measures, are often accomplished with a shift of responsibility and expense from the agency to the consumer. Well, I want every agency out there to know I'm not putting up with it any more.

I have flying monkeys and I'm not afraid to use them.

Ron Beatty

Brentwood