Not posting this on Facebook, but thought it might prove of interest elsewhere. Today while passing behind the local thrift store I saw its industrial-sized dumpster overflowing mostly with books. Those on top appeared to be mostly trashy paperbacks--if I'd seen any I wanted I would have grabbed them. I didn't have my phone at the time to take a picture, so ran some errands and came back with my phone. To my shock the dumpster was completely empty! A lady parked nearby saw me looking and asked what the issue was. I told her I was planning to take a picture of the dumpster full of books to post as an example of the decline and fall of culture. (I wasn't going to mention the store's or town's name but of course on Facebook everyone from this town would know where the picture was taken.) She said that would have hurt the store which has enough trouble as it is.
I asked if the trash collectors got the books, and if this was their usual pickup time. She said yes they got them and no this wasn't their usual time--they made a special trip and the store had to pay for it! I said that seemed a shame considering the recycling bins take books for free. She said she had no one to take them there if so and would have been glad to recruit me. Of course it would have taken hours to haul that volume of books, and they definitely wouldn't have all fit in the recycling bin nearest the store which was stuffed nearly full, and I doubt would have fit in both bins if taken there separately. (The town has only two such bins that I know of.) She said the books had been there six months and were taking up valuable space which could be occupied by items the store could sell for profit. What say all here?
I asked if the trash collectors got the books, and if this was their usual pickup time. She said yes they got them and no this wasn't their usual time--they made a special trip and the store had to pay for it! I said that seemed a shame considering the recycling bins take books for free. She said she had no one to take them there if so and would have been glad to recruit me. Of course it would have taken hours to haul that volume of books, and they definitely wouldn't have all fit in the recycling bin nearest the store which was stuffed nearly full, and I doubt would have fit in both bins if taken there separately. (The town has only two such bins that I know of.) She said the books had been there six months and were taking up valuable space which could be occupied by items the store could sell for profit. What say all here?