the sides.
This has not been a real problem in the past. However, lately it sticks out like a sore thumb (kind of like our roads themselves) and not many people are doing much about it. I do not see this amount of trash on the sides of streets in Alamo, San Ramon, Brentwood or Discovery Bay. I wonder why so much ends up on Knightsen's. Do we have that many inconsiderate residents? Maybe just outsiders and commuters feel it's OK to throw trash out the window because it's not their front yard.
Some say that you have to accept this type of behavior because you moved to a rapidly growing rural area, or you live next to a business, restaurant or school. Is that an excuse to throw trash in public areas or on someone's private property? I think not. Is this what we are teaching our children?
At what point does the trash and debris piling up begin to concern people? Who is going to pick it all up? County Public Works will do it's best to pick up large items, as they become road hazards. What happens to all the small stuff? Public works can't have someone walking the roads 24/7. Maybe it blows around till it finds its way to the Delta and is blended in with Contra Costa drinking water. Or the trash could break down and seep into our own well water. Maybe it just gets disked under and no one will notice. If that's the case, then why do we have garbage service? Might as well just toss our trash out in the front yard or on the road and save the monthly charge.
Our community's look reflects us. I do not think Knightsen residents want to be associated with being a trashy community. It's time to get involved. When I started out to work the other morning and was behind the local garbage truck, there were loose pieces of trash in large numbers flying out onto Byron Highway. This was not the first time I've seen trash coming from a garbage truck.
I was curious as to who would clean up after the trash collector. I called Oakley Disposal and spoke with Susanna. I asked her if garbage companies pay a specific fee above normal ones for the trash lost from their trucks. Also, if they did pay a special fee, what agency or group would do the followup cleanup? Her response was that she didn't know and I would have to call the main office in Concord. I called the number she gave me 12 times during a three-hour period. Finally, I got through and was told to speak with a Mr. Adler, the manager. Evidently he was not available and I was passed to Mr. Garaventa's voice mail. I left a message explaining the situation.
I called again at the end of the day and finally spoke with Gary Lazdowski, who stated that the driver should have had the top of his truck closed. Oakley disposal obtains its permit from Contra Costa County. There are no special agencies or permit fees for followup trash cleanup. He said he would have to send out someone to clean up the lost garbage. He apologized and said those who see trash coming from his trucks should call. The company is responsible for the trash they carry and will immediately correct any problems such as this when brought to their attention.
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