Reporter slings trash with city crew

LANCASTER - Being a city sanitation worker is not easy.

I know because I spent a recent morning riding on the back of a garbage truck and slinging trash with its crew of Shannon Pacino and driver Bill Lemon. Fortunately, I am in good shape or I would not have been able to do the work. It is that tough and the sanitation department certainly earned my respect.

"It's very physically demanding," said Pacino, who has been on the job for two months. "It took me about a week to get through my aches and pains. The first day I smashed my finger. Missing a finger nail, bruises, cuts all up and down me. But there's a technique to throwing the cans and it's a lot easier once you learn it. It's using momentum and twisting your body around. Not necessarily lifting cans with your arms. A lot of momentum."

It may look like the truck just stops at your house and someone throws your garbage into the truck and off they go. Technically, that is true, but there is a lot more to it than that. The driver must first and foremost ensure the safety of the two crew members on the back of the truck. He must also angle the truck in a way the crew can quickly and safely dump the cans and bags at each stop.

The guys on the back of the truck (there are currently no females on a city sanitation crew) have to make split-second decisions on whether a bag or can is too heavy to dump and how to safely grab it without being injured at each stop. They must also work together. For example, one guy will throw a can into the truck while the other dumps it.

The job can also be dangerous. The obvious hazard is falling off the truck. But sanitation workers must also be aware of sharp objects in the garbage. Sanitation superintendent Paul Martin said cuts are the biggest job hazard.

As for me, my main goal was to not fall off the truck. I accomplished that feat with no problem, even as we were breezing down Fair Avenue at a good pace before turning onto a side street to begin pickups. I was little apprehensive at first going down Fair Avenue, but I saw Pacino looking perfectly relaxed and that help relax me. Although, it was freaky when the truck turned. It almost seemed like it was going to tip over.

My second goal was to not get splattered with some nasty, smelly stuff in the garbage. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish that goal, as early in the run I got juiced in the chest with something.

But I got into a routine and actually felt like a sanitation worker, or sanitation engineer, as Pacino said.

I also got to see the crew empty the truck at the city's transfer station on Ewing Street. Trucks make two or three stops at the station each day to dump garbage, which eventually goes to a landfill in the county.

The big question is, do I have a future as a city sanitation worker? Probably not, since Martin said he would not retain my services if I didn't markedly improve my performance in 30 days. That's a nice way of saying, "You're fired."

Ouch!

But he did say my mistakes were the kind that most rookies make. For example, on the first couple of stops I stood like a statue watching Pacino work. In fairness to myself, though, I wanted to see what was going on before jumping in. Once I figured out that I had better do something instead of just hanging on to the truck for dear life, I embraced the work. Pacino would throw a can into the truck and I would dump it. For garbage on my side of the truck, I quickly jumped off the truck and dumped it with no major problems.

OK, OK, I did rip the first bag I picked up to shreds and had to quickly grab the nasty contents from the street and throw them into the truck. But other than that, I didn't make too many major mistakes.

Of course, I got lucky with the weather. It was about 60 degrees and sunny on the morning I spent with the crew. Sanitation workers must endure all kinds of weather, from the blazing heat to the freezing cold. Throw in rain, sleet, wind, snow and ice, and you can imagine what they sometimes go through. Martin said the worst weather is when its 33 or 34 degrees and raining.

Lemon said his crew only takes a 15-minute break and no lunch each day. Here's a little secret from the newspaper world - we reporters love to eat. Let me repeat that - we love to eat. Lunch time is sacred in our world, so that alone would be a major issue for me more than the weather.

But did I have fun on the back of a garbage truck? I sure did. And I got an inside look at a profession totally different than mine.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron