Who pays the price when a city trash truck mangles a bin?

A City of San Diego garbage truck was caught on camera Monday mangling a trash bin, leaving it cracked and broken, but who pays for the replacement? CBS 8 is Working for You to find out if the homeowner is on the hook.
“It was a full-on beat down on my trash can,” said North Pacific Beach homeowner George Bacon.
Trash collection day did not go well for Bacon’s trash bin in Pacific Beach as the truck’s mechanical gripper ground it across the pavement repeatedly before turning it upside down and slamming it into the ground repeatedly. The bin was eventually tossed aside and almost run over as the truck pulled out of the alley.
FULL STORY: www.cbs8.com/article/news/loc...

[@major_west]

Here in Escondido, EDCO provides replacement trash cans at no cost to the customer, regardless of age. City of San Diego treats their customers like trash

[@SundayCookingRemix]

Yes they do@! I'm from esco! Hey! I live in the deep south now lol we only get one trashcan 😂😂😂😂 ONE and it costs $10 a month. They don't even have the arm yet for the truck. We just got bins like yours 😂 a month ago 😂😂😂😂 Slow asf out here 3 guys in one truck 😂😂😂😂

[@shaunbailey8964]

Driver was Wong for not cleaning up mess but the can was broken before he grabbed it but don’t worry in 3 yrs when we have to start paying for trash service on a monthly basis cans will be free

[@jacquelinebrown6879]

You guys also charge for your service when ours is free for now and you dnt let them do extra dumps without charging them extra!

[@amazingadventures510]

Edco is the best

[@1NicholasWeir]

That truck has anger management issues.

[@roachtoasties]

I don't know about San Diego, but up here in Los Angeles if your garbage bin is damaged, or just vanishes, you just call 311. They take the report and tell you to leave the bin outside and empty (or no bin if it vanished) on a specific day. Like magic, you have a new bin. No questions asked. I've gone through quite a few bins. It's also not unheard of that the claw on the side of the truck loses grip of the garbage can, and it ends up falling into the truck with all the garbage. This is hardly something for the city to make a fuss about. These bins don't last a decade. Give me a break.

[@MartintheTinman]

They last longer than a decade in Australia. Only had to replace one lid hinge pin. Mine's twenty five years old. Some people here have the same one since 1988

[@agentsmith007]

Washington here. I've had my bin for 6+ years no problem. The city in this video should be ashamed.

[@edthomas6548]

That city gives out blue and green cans for free. But charges $70 for a brown one. I’m taking a free one and going to Walmart to buy a $1 can of brown spray paint. If they won’t get out of the truck to pull a can off the claw they are destroying. I doubt they’ll get out to look at a serial number.

[@2brntb]

Fire any employee who does not do a decent job. This country needs to train people with ethics.

[@AmandaDragmire]

lol lmao rotfl

[@spongebobsquarepants3770]

why does that driver still have a job?

[@MeoMiyo]

Wasn't drivers fault, watch video again. He picked up can, and the jaws went through brittle can, so he was trying to get pick-up jaws off can.

[@shaunbailey8964]

You are correct

[@yt-user03561]

​@@MeoMiyoThen why not just get out and pull it off himself instead of thrashing it around causing more damage and making a mess. He didn't even clean up the mess of trash that was made from it.

[@sierraj7480]

And why do the drives get paid so much? Ill answer both questions. Not a lot of people want to smell trash for a living.

[@svn5994]

They don't get paid a lot... ​@@sierraj7480

[@GuyWithTheDogs]

That driver should no longer be working in that capacity. That's negligence of the highest order.

[@SundayCookingRemix]

😂😂😂😂

[@calimon00]

Highest order? Like not even if he injured someone with his truck ? 🤨

[@lj2700]

Calm down. It was a homeless person driving so its ok.

[@GuyWithTheDogs]

@@lj2700 Baby talk. Apostrophe abuse.

[@user-jc7jb3bu5s]

I live here!

[@hangten1904]

Did that driver ever thought once getting out and removing it himself? I guess not.

[@socialconservative1986]

Did you ever "think" about checking your grammar before posting?

[@fireflyvr4881]

HEY! DONT BE MEAN!!!!!!!@@socialconservative1986

[@rollastudent]

He’s only getting out for lunchtime

[@SeathThePawn]

Usually for legal reasons, they're flat out not allowed to step out on account of safety reasons, just in case of the arm doing something and the driver isn't there to turn it off immediately. My city has a similar thing going on which sucks, but I can kinda understand.

[@edthomas6548]

@@socialconservative1986🤦🏻‍♂️

[@carlosnajera6998]

This happened to my trash bin too wow

[@8802jmn]

When I was a temp at the City of Burbank, the bins would break, we would pick them up and take off with them 😂. But we would call dispatch and have a new bin out there the same day.

[@EshaanR]

Here in bay area you get 2 free replaces a year + Free delivery

[@shaunbailey8964]

But you pay for your service every month sd city dont

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

I manage a property in PB and so glad we recently switched over to WM. No more bullshit like this.

[@jasont2443]

You manage it ? Or does cal prop ? 😎

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

@@jasont2443 I manage it 100%, My family owns the property.

[@jasont2443]

@@myothercarisadelorean8957 do you do the maintenance on it ?

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

@@jasont2443 i do minor easy stuff or I have my repair guy do it

[@shaunbailey8964]

You for got to tell them your paying a monthly service now, also your property was probably denied service cause it was a multi family home

[@rodriguez6196]

One time they accidentally threw our trash bin inside the trash truck . We weren't home at the time when it happened. We got a new trash bin for free a week later 👍

[@terrencemckinnon9371]

Sounds like the bin was already broken, and the truck robotic fingers got stuck in the broken bin. Video should have shown the initial grab of bin. The news nor customer have to show that. Because the trucks have cameras on them. Along with GPS location of pu and what was dumped out of bin. And that's why the bin owner has to pay for new bin. Lucky the the trash company didn't send them a bill for jamming robotic arm or slowing production costing company thousands. Obvious the bin was already broken. Probably ran over in alley every week.

[@addanametocontinue]

How much does the city pay you for kissing their collective butts, terrence?

[@tallgirlhappyme]

THANK YOU! Same here in RB... with ALL cans. And, *we notice the guy is on his cell phone* the whole time! *We're SICK of replacing cans!* Then, to boot, they WON'T TAKE AWAY the one THEY broke! (I had to give the guy a $20 bill and a six pack to bribe him to take away the very trash can HE BROKE and I had to replace.) *WHERE is the ACCOUNTABILITY?!*

[@evidenceoverbelief5631]

He didn’t want to get out of the truck!!! He was suppose to and that was pure laziness!!!

[@moisesperez3693]

Once those grabbers get stuck it's freaking HARD to get out.

[@addanametocontinue]

@@moisesperez3693 I agree. There's no way the guy was going to be able to yank the trashcan off the pry bars on his own. Thrashing it around is really the only thing he could have done. Just leaving the trash there and not even picking it up afterwards or reporting the damage is on him, though. Another lazy government worker.

[@fidgetthedalmation7433]

I remember when a neighbor’s trash can was once crushed (and I mean CRUSHED) by a snow plow and the city denied any fault (saying that the garbage bin shouldn’t have been there since the plows were known to come even though it was garbage day the same day) and refused to provide a new bin. Then, since they did not have their trash in an approved bin, the city refused to pick it up. Well, needless to say, the neighbor just kept on piling their trash right on top of the remains of the crushed bin in the snow bank and the pile of garbage just got bigger and bigger. They refused to pay for a new bin when they hadn’t damaged it. I don’t exactly remember what happened, but after the city then had the audacity to try to find them for the pile of garbage and then some fighting between the city and the neighbor, more than a month later the city finally did end up replacing their bin.

[@edthomas6548]

What happens when greedy A holes get into city government positions. They get that little bit of power and love to bully “the little man.” Got a couple of those in my town.

[@gregcadena1010]

Must be the same guy in city heights my trash can was done the same and my neighbor too it was 100$ to replace

[@lynksis12]

Growing up in city heights the bins on my street were always mangled by city employees who did not care.

[@MrSocko-vn7fw]

That driver is making north of 125+ thousand a year and full city benefits and retirement. What a lazy bum to risk employment like that. Ridiculous.

[@jacquelinebrown6879]

Do u Kno most of the cans that get stuck on the grippers are broken n the owner refuses to replace? Do u Kno that wen the can sits outside all day in the sun the can gets soft? Do u know wen the weather gets cold the can gets brittle? Do u Kno wen the resident over weight their can the gripper can't grip the can enuff to dump so the psi has to b able to lift up to 300 lbs? The grippers does not have feelings but the driver does! Why didn't the reporter/ owner of the can owner ask the driver how he was feeling? He probably was to remove broken cans off is gripper all day which is annoying to get in n out of the cab.. do u Kno if he is in good health n probably have problems getting in n out of the truck such as back knee or leg injury?? 🤕

[@GuyWithTheDogs]

Do you know how to spell, "you"?

[@moisesperez3693]

Lol

[@jacquelinebrown6879]

Of course I do ! Do u Kno how to abbreviate 😂 laff at that!

[@GuyWithTheDogs]

@@jacquelinebrown6879 Does your ISP charge extra for grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

[@tedz2usa]

I want the City of San Diego to name one resident that has the intention to purposefully damage a trash bin for any reason. Trash is the city's responsibility, including providing a means for their residents to dispose of it. Just replace the bins if they get damaged for any reason, and be happy that you have residents using them.

[@sheridanshaver2685]

Never heard of having to pay for a new trash can

[@tspeaks2]

File for criminal charges of destruction of private property. The city had the opportunity to do the right thing but declined leaving the citizen to be the victim. Let the driver spend a few nights in jail they will rethink that 49 dollar charge

[@rogerm3708]

I once had mine disappear. I called and they replaced it, no questions asked. I found out a week later that the pot head son of my neighbor put in his garage and the father gave it back to the city

[@hangten1904]

You don't write your address number on the garbage bin? Everyone in my street does it.

[@eag1990]

Here in Central cal it's free replacement. Also it could of been they where testing a new truck as you can tell the alley way is small and the arm and fingers don't have room to service the cans alot of people don't understand the struggle of being a garbage driver you have alot of responsibility. I know this because I work as a garbage driver and service 1,200 houses a day thats alot to deal with not every day Is perfect but safety is always number 1 as long as no one was hurt cans can always be replaced.

[@SteveSabbai]

What happens if someone steals your trash can? There is no way you can stop that from happening. It happened to me.

[@bobtheagent99]

The truck talking to the can "When I come back here next Wednesday, better have my money"

[@BentleyTypeR]

In this case, should be at trash service expense.

LAZINESS TO ITS FULLEST!!!

[@YoUnOkNoWoK]

Just a lazy truck driver who hates his job..

[@francis-kp9cw]

He should lose his job

[@jcraigshelton]

That hyena was too lazy to get out of the truck. No surprise there.

[@P46345]

I live in Kingman, Arizona and a few weeks ago I went to bring in my trash can and it was gone, the city told me it got dumped in the trash truck and they would bring me a replacement the next day at no charge to me. ;-)

[@wolfpacva]

so the city has no care in the world and takes no responsibility what a sham they are

[@backdoorletsdothis]

No one in the government is hard working 😂😂😂

[@AverageOverlander]

I caught the trash company breaking mine and driving away as well. When I called to have it replaced they tried to charge me and I say you can replace it or I’ll share the video online, your choice. 2 days later a gently used fan was delivered to replace the one they destroyed during trash pickup.

[@waynelincoln6340]

Garage company is responsible, I worked for a Garage company.

[@v10moped]

"Murder trashcan". If there's one thing San Diego has plenty of its dad jokes.

[@Eta30mins]

Imagine if no cameras was their…. He should be fired, because we all know he would’ve walked away and acted he knew nothing.

[@johncoleman6768]

I live in Oklahoma, and this video showed up. The city I live in switched to this same setup where the machine does it all. The trash cans are free, and we get a small tote for recycling. It was there second week and they broke the lid on the trash can. I called it and they replaced the lid. Then the next incident was they broke one wheel. Then eventually the other. They replaced the wheels. Now my lid is broke off completely and the side is cracked and there not doing anything when I call. I'm not paying for another one for them to destroy it.

[@DisappointedBoy798]

Getting paid 25 bucks an hour to drive a garbage truck. This is the type of behavior that you get they think they're above it. Picking up trash off the ground

[@jasonjones759]

That driver must be an ex cop. No accountability. Taxpayers billed. 👁️

[@visoroverwatch3247]

I think the problem is trash collectors have a steep number of trash cans to collect per day, understaffed and overworked thats why they do that.

[@moisesperez3693]

Correct, they want us to pickup 1500 homes on average

[@someoneyoudontknow7407]

Like a cat trying to get a piece of tape off its foot.

[@lovelylisa-tw2kg]

Same thing happened to me and they broke it. I had to pay for the replacement and wait for it to be delivered 3 weeks later lol. What a joke .

[@gopropeterchockey]

City of Vancouver cut back green bin pickup to every two weeks to match garbage pickup during the winter months but we got no corresponding rate discount. Our green bins lids often get broken when the organics freeze into a large ice block in the winter and it smashed thru the stuck lid during the emptyimg process.

[@TheStudderman]

He should be FIRED on the spot! Negligence is unacceptable. He broke the trash can and HE is a city employee, so the city should replace him, the trash can.

[@DannyBeeVegas]

In the Las Vegas valley, we notify Republic Services in Las Vegas and Henderson while North Las Vegas notifies the City. They tell you to leave the bins on the street on your collection day and replace the bins for free since it is included in our garbage bill.

[@eprofessio]

It looks like the trash can cracked and got stuck on the machine. I think the driver was just trying to get the broken van off and was so exasperated he forgot the other van.

[@bradl4761]

"San diego city" trash service doesn't pay out of pocket. It is included in taxes while everyone else in san diego county pays out of pocket

[@MartintheTinman]

Money the true God of the USA

[@mr.fantasticbaby1831]

Lazy ! Lazy! Lazy! Better have two person work together in the truck! They have the easiest job all the do drive and have the machine pick it up and earn more money on the job and over time . Back in the day my grandfather work as a garbage man all he have to do pick up heavy loads even the sofa and big box tv . Although not making much but he’s love it

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Stay classy, humanity. Keep on shifting the blame over and over and over. Why use ethics, honesty, care, and compassion when you could just... you know... not?

[@EnchantedSmellyWolf]

Either a cheap bin or the hydrolics sensitivity is too high.

[@gomergomez1984]

Man, California leads the way.

[@TishaHayes]

It took our trash service FOUR MONTHS to deliver a trash bin when I started service at my home. I asked if I could just buy my own can at the store and put it out. They said that they would not empty any bin that did not have their company name on the side of it. We have no accountability (rural area in Alabama) and the trash service is selected by the local county board member who represents that district.

[@TheOneFu33]

Waste management charges you fora new one when they mess it up.

[@anchorsaweigh9893]

City will (last time I needed it) swap out your black can for free as long as you have old beat up one for trade. Blue Can replacement cost a little bit. They (Trash dudes) were helpful over there as well.

[@drywater3559]

they also give free lids and wheels for black trash cans. at least they were a few years ago.

[@zahirkhan778]

They do that everywhere

[@FlickerWanderfoot-rm4em]

I would like to know how many of those trash cans actually live the full ten years.

[@shaunbailey8964]

Believe it or not but most 85% of cans make it over 15yrs before failure

[@FlickerWanderfoot-rm4em]

@@shaunbailey8964 if the operator of that truck is the norm among the garbage people in that area, I highly doubt that those cans would livd past 5 years.

[@SailorSaturn69]

City employees who don't accept responsibility. Nothing new there.

[@mzgonzalez2131]

Same guy in the video broke 3 bins and I had to pay. Lucky I didn’t get him on video

[@andrewmusgrove574]

reminds me when the trash people accidentally took my neighbors whole trash can and the whole thing went in, the city paid for it

[@marthaortega2708]

I just had mine repaired, as long as it was under warranty

[@user-bh9vf2zu1r]

City seems to be hiring incompetent individuals. More taxes and less quality service seems to be the trend.

[@bmm7299]

Trash company replaces it with no charge

[@Paramount531]

I used to watch them destroy trash cans in Penasquitos, the city hires and promotes the worst employees. And guess what??? YOU PAY!!!

[@shaunbailey8964]

Don’t worry give it 3yrs when you have a monthly bill then your cans will be free

[@nicholasproietto2500]

We have private trash haulers where I live. They mangle the can, they provide a replacement no charge or, I take my business elsewhere. Plenty of other haulers who'd gladly accept a new customer. Looks like you guys have a scam money making scheme going on when they destroy your can then expect you to buy a new one.

[@Jojojo995]

That’s why it’s better if we use our trash cans, not the city trash cans

[@MikeCooper-ir7gr]

Fact remains that a COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE AND SHOULD HAVE TO PAY!!! (COMPANY DRIVER)

[@melissageiger71]

I mean, I'm sure this isn't helpful necessarily, but you maybe can mend the inside cracks with some flex seal..and other than that maybe get a couple of free green or blue ones and paint them black 🤷🏼 I doubt they'd notice..

[@crazeokc]

Require you to have a certain bin and requiring you to pay for that bin because they are the government should be illegal. If one of ours gets broken they just replace them, we of course pay a monthly rental fee built into the trash fee's.

[@edthomas6548]

Wait, the blue and green cans are free? Then take one of them and paint it brown or black. Whatever color the garbage cans are. If they don’t care enough to get out to unstick a can they are destroying. I doubt they’ll get out to check serial numbers etc.

[@SoCalSeaChaser]

That’s nothing, I’ve seen my trash company drop the whole trash can in the truck and take off. 😆 But if we have a broken or messed up trash can, we give them a call and on our next trash day we get a new trash can at no charge. Damn SD is CHEAP, nickel and diming people.

[@JT-rg6gm]

Here in Miami Florida they replace them for free.

[@GoFarAway5338]

Also, many (obviously not all) of these trash pick up staff drive wayyy to fast everywhere. In grantville here, they can sometimes be a menace if you are a pedestrian

[@seanoconnor1398]

City’s PR response who suddenly has a New Jersey Accent- Oh a member of our KR3W destroyed your can so you’s don’t want to pay for a new one? “F-U-PAY-ME!”

[@jnsa9454]

This has been happening

[@scottayar5136]

Happened to two cans where I live

[@lin018]

I have to reinforce my bins.

[@Jeff-kp5ng]

The tax payer, the answer is always the tax payer. Even if the company replaces it who pays for them? It rhymes with the shmaxpayer.

[@LoveHealsAndProtects]

😂😂😂

[@kylekelly1167]

The instructions on those can say to play three feet apart for a reason cause the arms need to open and close the other one was placed to close to a power pole. The news is making hype over nonsense. Those trucks are like the crane game. Why is it here people space them nicely and put them nice rows but there they place the side ways.

[@californiacritic9779]

The dude should've claimed racism for how the trashcan was treated.

[@cheldosarmiento2733]

Get your ass out of that truck. Sheesh

[@jovanholland36]

Damn bruh 0:23

[@user-pl2mq6rd4u]

Pick up your containers! They don't pay city workers enough to pick up your syringes, tampons, dog shit and shit papers. 😅

[@kreepyits-o7761]

Its a scam they break those cans knowing that "you haft to pay for them" and thats bs the people who drive those pos junkie trucks should be held accountable after all they are the ones who break them

[@fifthrider]

LOL, "the driver's actions are unacceptable." Yeah, but they're widespread and done by every single driver without punity. They will be DAMNED if they will get out of the cab. Once the luxury of "not getting out of the truck as often" became a regular occurrence, it became an entitlement to the point they simply will NOT GET OUT no matter what. Not that one driver in the video, all of them. The garbage cans on my street are utterly mutilated and some are missing lids. No human being does that, we watch them being shaken free by the trucks. No one cares. "Not my problem" says the driver.

[@moisesperez3693]

Funny, my company says safety 1st. If the bin is damaged take it and we'll replace it for free. I've had coworkers get the grabbers stuck and just like this driver try to remove it by opening and closing it. It happens folks

[@Kartzchen]

That employee is trash. So, take it out of his pay. It is obvious to me that the employee is lazy and does not perform his job. He assaulted the trash can and now they're trying to place the blame on the homeowner.

[@hubertgary7746]

The can was probably already damage .and when a gripper goes through the can. It is not easy to get out.. and the homeowners keep putting the same damage can back out fot situation to happen next week

[@kylekelly1167]

@@hubertgary7746 facts

[@meanwhome]

The city or trash company...I know I asked

[@RyanMiller3039]

I thought California just threw there trash on the street.

[@MrSocko-vn7fw]

There are Americans that would literally give anything to have one of these jobs. This country is a joke.

[@andrewd7680]

Just laziness....

[@lifelongfit5997]

City Aholes

[@rbfarrell1]

San Diego is very poorly managed. If the truck driver is in a Union nothing will happen and he knows that.

[@NotColaTai]

"Blue and green one free" just paint it black

[@kylekelly1167]

They have chips in the sides.

[@patriciafettuccine7324]

There ya go, karma for you folks😄

[@Eliteboss2004]

You should be thankful of having a wheelie bin of that size. Mine is 1/3 the size

[@jacquelinebrown6879]

All i am saying there is multiple reasons n multiple sides and multiple complaints but unless uuuuuu kno the full story from all of the participants n mayb witness. Dnt rush to judgment!! Guilty b4 proven innocent! Like always! 😢

[@addanametocontinue]

The most stress a trashbin goes through is getting picked up by those hydraulic arms. People claiming the trashcan was already broken is delusional. What normal use could a person do that would break a trashcan? You cant' even run these over if you wanted because they're so big, they'll just get pushed along the road. All I see is workers treating trashcans roughly, breaking it to a point where it now catches on the arms, then blaming and making residents pay for it. How do I know this? Because I take out my own trash each week and can see the damage done by those hydraulic arms.

[@JamesHavlin-ez4gw]

Seriously the trash bin was destroyed it is owned by the trash company they will get another one

[@JamesHavlin-ez4gw]

How come the Garbage ants are made by the garbage company? Because they are engineered and molded to hold so much garbage easier billing efficiency..when I was Kid we had40 gallon garbage can and the neighbors had a 25 gallon and we payed the same price….

[@vortrexion4604]

Here in Torrance, our bins don't seem to really break; 15 years and ours is still going strong. Granted it isn't made from this cheap plastic, but still.