SAN DIEGO — Viewers continue to reach out to CBS 8 about City of San Diego garbage trucks destroying their trash cans and then charging them for new ones. On trash day throughout the city, garbage bins are either taking a beating. In some cases, they’re taken altogether.
“I saw the arm reach out, grab the can, it lifted up, and it just slipped out of the arm, and it dropped into the trash truck,” said Ida Garcia, who lives in Clairemont. “I just ran out and I said, ‘My can fell in your truck,’ and he said, ‘I don’t know what happened, it just slipped.’”
And just like that, Garcia’s black bin was gone, disappearing into the trash truck. CBS 8 received a video clip from a viewer in La Jolla last month showing their bin being dumped into the truck too.
“I saw your report last month and so I thought I’d better email and let you know it happened to me,” said Garcia.
She called the City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, where staff told her they’d have to investigate the situation before potentially replacing the can, a task that could take 7-10 days. After more than a week, CBS 8 called with Garcia’s case number, and staff told us it was still under review. Garcia hopes they don’t charge her for a replacement.
“I’ve seen other cans in Clairemont where they will literally have holes in the side or they’ll be duct-taped. Mine did not have that,” said Garcia, describing the good condition her bin was in. “I just hope because it was an accident on their part that I will not have to pay for this can and that I won’t have to pay for it to be delivered.”
Last month, CBS 8 showed you video of homeowner George Bacon’s trash receptacle being mauled and mangled beyond belief by a City of San Diego trash truck. He recently replaced it but because the bin was 7 years-old, they charged him $49 for a new one. To avoid a $25 delivery fee, Bacon drove up to the Environmental Services office at 8353 Miramar Place to pick it up in person.
City of San Diego black bins have a prorated 10-year warranty. If it’s older than 10 years, you pay the full $70 for a replacement, but when the can is still under the warranty period, they take off $7 dollars for every year it’s under the 10-year mark. Blue and green bins, on the other hand, are free. Any replacement parts like lids or wheels for any bin still under warranty are also free.
“I don’t even think I can use it anymore, I mean this is really bad. It’s cracked all the way up here, you know,” said Lee Ann Ramsey, whose bin continues to get worse every time trash day comes around in Clairemont. “The crack’s coming all the way around here, this is ridiculous!”
Ramsey is currently experiencing hard financial times and does dog-sitting and dog-walking jobs on the side for Wag ‘n Walk Dog Walks, but scrounging up the cash for a replacement bin is not exactly an easy thing for her to do at the moment, let alone transporting her large-sized receptacle to the Miramar office.
“I don’t think I should have to pay for it, you know, they messed it up,” said Ramsey. “I always paid for my mistakes so why can’t they pay for theirs?”
To help out, CBS 8 transported her trash can to the Miramar office, and since the bin was only two years old and still under warranty, it only cost $14 for a new one, making Ramsey a happy camper.
“It looks a heck of a lot better,” said Ramsey with a smile. “It’s so nice and shiny, I almost don’t want to put trash and stuff in it.”
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
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