CR has too many collection trucks

The recent news of impending increases in city taxes and other fees was unsettling, but not a surprise. I expect Cedar Rapids residents trust City Hall leadership is doing its best to trim the budget. Recent events have led me to believe the folks in trash collection and recycling management have work to do. They could also brush up on public relations.

The parade of specialized trucks on trash day has increased to four to service my neighborhood. First came Garby truck, then Yardy, then Curby, but wait, something was different, Curby truck wasn't the typical recycler, but instead had a Yardy trucklike claw to grasp, hoist and dump the blue box. I then noted the phony Curby truck roared away, leaving my blue bucket of glass recyclables untouched.

I guessed the operator didn't see the bucket, so I decided to meet on other side of street as it came back. The operator was not friendly. When I held up my bucket of bottles he grumbled something to effect there's another truck coming. I held up four fingers and asked, a fourth truck? His response was “What is your problem? It's paid for.”

By the way, when the regular recycling truck tooled by about an hour later, the driver deftly plucked my two glass bottles from the bucket and chugged away.

Gene Wagner

Cedar Rapids