This morning the garbage truck arrived at 8:31am to empty the bins. I’ve never heard anything like it! It sounded like war breaking out. I gave a little yelp and rushed over to the window to see what was going on. I expected to see older style tin bins being emptied into an ancient truck. What I found was a very modern operation, the same that you’d find in Australia - plastic wheelie bins being emptied into a brand new red truck by men in fluorescent orange jumpsuits.
I started thinking about how in Australia it doesn’t take anywhere near that much noise to empty the bins. Two countries with exactly the same garbage disposal set up, yet the noise being generated by one is almost ten times the level of the other. Something’s not right here. I thought about how garbage men don’t really get to go to international conferences like other professionals to become ‘upskilled’ in latest emptying techniques and decided that’s not really fair. Not only is it not fair, it’s actually becoming quite hazardous.
So that’s how I began planning the inaugural garbage emptying conference in Sydney in 2009. It will be called ‘That’s Rubbish’ because you always need a catchy name to get people in. The keynote address will be an almost silent emptying of the bins by Australia while ‘I’ve bin everywhere man’ plays in the background. International delegates will look on in disbelief and shake their heads at one another is slow motion while taking notes. Then they’ll have morning tea and make invaluable contacts in the industry.
1 comment:
You know how any conference worth its salt arranges outings for the ladies while their men are hard at it? Here's an itinerary:
Day 1. Bus tour to Collector, a little south-east of Goulburn, returning to Sydney by way of Laggan (that's what their husbands are doing) and Bigga (and that's the noise they're making).
Day 2. It's due west today, via Peel, Bogan Gate and Trundle and then North to Binnaway on the lovely Castlereagh River. Back home in time for a late dinner.
Day 3. Visit to fluro work-wear factory. Opportunity to shop.
Post a Comment