Sam Katz's Caper: Who's Got the Metres? - by Margaret Ullrich

Did anybody rush City Hall to cram this system through?  A little thought would have been appreciated.  Maybe they just don't have time to think things through...

They had their long term plans.  Long term plans work, right?

They said it would work.  

People who share a back lane have to place their garbage carts along one side of the lane.  Same for the recycling cart.  Oh, and if you have a large family you can get a second cart for your garbage.

Okay... let's picture a worse case scenario.  Two large families back each other on the back lane.  Three carts each house.  Six carts.  

The cart is about a half metre wide.  We're supposed to leave one metre clearance on both sides of the cart.

Okay...  

That's 6 carts, .59 metre each    = 3.54 metres  

one metre on the end sides        = 2      metres 

one metre in between the carts  = 5      metres

                                               ______________

                                    total        10.54 metres

                                            

Our lots are 35 feet wide 

     35 feet x 12 = 420 inches

420 inches / 39 = 10.75 metres

By the way, we get snow.  Lots of snow.  We have to put it somewhere from roughly November to March.  That takes up a few metres, too.

Hmmm...  

Just to add to the fun, our garages or parking pads face the back lane.  These garages or parking pads hold cars.  That's right, there can be more than one driver per household.  

Now, about the time we've been told to put the carts out, folks are a little busy.  Driving out to get to work or to take the kids to school.  Some folks do shift work and come home at odd hours.  

In other words, the back lane isn't exactly just sitting there, unused, waiting for the new garbage trucks.

Hell, no.  It's damn busy.

And, maybe, just maybe, folks are a little too busy to move a half dozen carts - that can't all fit to block one homeowner's garage or parking pad anyway - around to get in and out of their garages or parking pads.  Any suggestions where they can put the carts, without blocking traffic, while they are coming and going?

The brochure says Now you're ready to roll!

Yeah, right.

(Originally posted February 24, 2010)

Have a great day.  How can you miss - you're in Winnipeg!