My garbage man just knocked on my door...

[JR6ooo4]

But if you think about it, aside from the heat and cold extremes (which not all areas have) it is a very stress free job. No training required.

you do start very early, but around here, they are all finished by 3pm. Except the driver who drives the truck to the processing center, and he gets paid more than the regular guys.

Mikeeee

 

[Darcy03231]

I've never tipped the garbage man. They are municipal employees and are paid a very good wage. Also, our city has the mechanical trucks and special garbage cans (one per family no matter what your family size). The garbage man never even has to get out of his truck. The mechanical "arm" comes out, picks up the can, empties it into the truck and sets the can back down.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

and asked for Christmas money.

Is this normal?

DH says it's normal, the mailman should be asking soon too. You should get a calendar for your xmas money though. DH said the firefighters would come by too - my inlaws end up with lots of calendars!

 

[KATHINOWA]

I've never tipped the garbage man. They are municipal employees and are paid a very good wage. Also, our city has the mechanical trucks and special garbage cans (one per family no matter what your family size). The garbage man never even has to get out of his truck. The mechanical "arm" comes out, picks up the can, empties it into the truck and sets the can back down.

We have this too. We also have weekly reclycling pick-up and rubbish. I'm not sure it's the same guys though. We have weekly leaf, lawn garbage too. Again, not sure if it's the same crew or not.

We do not tip our garbage men because I feel they are being paid to do it. They are not doing it as a service just for me.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I used to tip our old garbage men. They would always wave and smile at our ds if they were outside. They took stuff that maybe was questionable etc.

Now the new guys leave our can 1/2 way in the street sometimes, dont take stuff if it does not conform to the exact rules, like nothing in a cardboard box, you have to have the box on paper recycle day with no garbage in it etc.

They get paid enough from my tax money and should be thankful they have a job these days. That is thanks enough. Only my one neighbor across the street gives them something.

 

[Stacerita]

I would be so peeved if my garbage men knock on my door to ask for Christmas money. Especially since they pick up the garbage at 6:30am.

 

[MushyMushy]

Funny-- we were told that our garbage guys make about $12-15 an hour. Granted that isn't a lot to support a family on, but as someone unemployed-- $12-15 an hour is quite a bit-- especially if another person in the family is working.

That's how much garbage men in my town made in the early 90s, when minimum wage was less than $5/hr! That's more than I make now with a masters degree.

I'd laugh them off my porch if they came begging for tips. Sorry to the poster whose BIL isn't well off, but where I live they make plenty of money, especially for a low income area.

Maybe I'm a Grinch, but I'm just not a fan of tipping gifting everyone I come in contact with around Christmas time. We donate to charity very generously throughout the year, and we give money to the Salvation Army bell ringers every chance we get, so I have no guilt.

 

[Papa Deuce]

We actually got a card in the mail yesterday from our garbage collectors. Not sure if they're expecting something in return. I also wonder if my tax dollars paid for my christmas card.

Our guys put a Christmas card in our mailbox with an EXTRA ENVELOPE ..... private company, so no taxes.

I don't tip them. They make $14 - $22 an hour, usually only work 5 or 6 hours a day, and have fabulous benefits. How do I know? One of my friends works for the company...

( They only have to work as long as it takes to finish their daily routes, but they get paid a whole day's pay )

 

[java]

Uh..something something something if you want to wish us happy holidays...I think.

Ok I am imagine if he was offering you a Happy Holidays wish! Here you are handing him cash - good thing you didn't get arrested!

 

[Becky2005]

We got one too! After it wished up a Merry Christmas it said that last year a lot of gifts were lost or stolen so if you want to give a gift please do not leave it outside overnight. You can ask them to ring your bell even if you want! Sort of puts those threads about gift registries to shame huh?
FTR- I do tip the grabage men and the mailman.

I've actually heard of that. People know that tips are left under the garbage lid this time of year, so they go about in the middle of the night and take them before the garbage is picked up.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I've always tipped my garbage man - and I am 40 years old.

Everyone who does a job for me - that I would NEVER want to do gets cash at Christmas:
garbage men (ours make like $30 an hour but I tip anyway)
mailman
newpaper delivery
parking attendant
housekeeper
favorite wait staff

I love the garbage men - for a case of beer they will take anything!

 

[mommasita]

For all I know, he could have asked for something vile the first time he spoke.
I had to have him dumb it down to Intermediate French for me.

You always know where there is a translator

 

[ntsammy5]

Wow.

 

[pixiesilk]

Our garbage collectors are inmates from the honor wings from the prison. They do not get tips from my household.

Yes, I know this as a fact. My hubby is a CO there (corrections officer).

 

[sharlon]

But if you think about it, aside from the heat and cold extremes (which not all areas have) it is a very stress free job. No training required.

My DH has worked in the garbage industry since 1993, and is currently a GM (so no, he doesn't ride a truck). He will tell you that his guys, especially the ones on the back of the trucks, are in a very high stress environment. They are constantly dodging cars, dogs, kids, and weather. They are always stories of how they almost get hit by cars driven by people that think they have the right of way over the pedestrian. (FTR, it's a private hauler, not municipal) In fact, one of our city councilman said recently that garbagemen in this city (both municipal and private) have the most dangerous job in town because of other drivers. That's the kind of stress I could live without.

 

[bumbershoot]

guess it depends on where you live.

That is true.

I am sure our local garbagemen do not make $15 and hour.

You two both live in PA, I thought it interesting that Jennifer was saying that the amount wasn't much, but hen was saying they make even less.

and asked for Christmas money.

Is this normal?

Honestly, I think you would do better to ask a couple neighbors if it's normal. Some dis'ers won't notice you're in Belgium, others won't know. The poster from the UK said it's definitely not done where she lives, but then in your country it seems OK, since he did it. Just go next door and ask if it's normal; you'll get a better answer than from here, I would think.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Our garbagemen are city employees and have good benefits. My newspaper guy never gets out of his car--I wouldn't know him if I ran into him on the street since he comes about 5AM.
Today I went to buy a card for DH's teacher and at the Hallmark store I saw a Christmas card "for our pediatrician". Oh great, am I supposed to tip the pediatrician now?
Robin M.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

Honestly, I think you would do better to ask a couple neighbors if it's normal. Some dis'ers won't notice you're in Belgium, others won't know. The poster from the UK said it's definitely not done where she lives, but then in your country it seems OK, since he did it. Just go next door and ask if it's normal; you'll get a better answer than from here, I would think.

It is normal for the area she's in, my in-laws live on the French side not too from where she is and it's happened every holiday season. It's not just the garbage man that does it either.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Wow. So the garbage men in Belgium think Christmas is like trick-or-treat. Who knew?

We pay a monthly surcharge for trash collection so NO, I will NOT be tipping the garbage man.

I am off to the city jobs website to see how much they make, because now I am curious!
EDIT: $11.45 - $18.89 per hour

 

[FoundMyPrince]

I am dumbfounded. Knocking on the door asking for a gift? I think I'd almost call the company and let them know, but maybe he's that desperate for some extra cash.