Thread: Curbside Issues...?

My wife and I are preparing to move this weekend and in doing so have amassed a ton of things we're throwing out - everything from old DirecTV receivers to an old (and broken) Elliptical. We called the city for a refuse pickup and put all of the stuff out at the end of our driveway. Now the stuff we put out was well bagged, and none of it food/bio - it was all dry, etc. There was quite a bit of it.

We live in a nice neighborhood - middle class at least. And once the morning passed, the rummaging began. Every single work truck of Mexicans ended up stopping, blocking our driveway, and going through our stuff. This happened numerous times - to the point where I called the police. By this time, more than one group had taken at least half of this "garbage", just driving by, and throwing it in the back of their work trucks.

A cop came by and said "there's nothing I can do about it because they aren't going through a garbage recepticle - if they were, I could get them for scavenging."

The problem is this. What if I left that stuff out for GoodWill, or for a Friend to pick up? How did these Mexicans know that the Elliptical was broken?

The answer is they couldn't, and they didn't care. Even if I left this for a service other than refuse, they would have taken it anyway.

To me there is a big problem with this. I talked with a few friends yesterday, and each of them had some story of having things stolen (and yes, all by Mexicans) - ranging from stuff that was on the side of the house that was just set out overnight while they did something in the garage to a friend who put something in his driveway for a friend to pick up.

This is just plain ridiculous. The question is what can be done? I sort of understand the cops' disposition in this matter, but as I said, what if this was left for Goodwill? Even though it wasn't, would it be stealing then?

Plus we all know they take this stuff and often try to resell it. The Elliptical would appear to work just fine to somebody save the terrible sound it makes (refernce to broken bearings that cannot be replaced). So somebody is probably going to get ripped off...

Anyway, this really upset us. We didn't like having people going through our well-packed trash in a nice neighborhood, and wonder in the future how to prevent this sort of thig - and if there is any "charge" here in AZ that can be enforced for such actions/behavior? (I don't have much faith that the cop really wanted to try and help out with the situation)

Welcome Phoenixguy!

That really is lame of them to do such a thing. It never ceases to amaze me what illegals will do.
The only way I could suggest that not from happening again is to personally deliver it those places you mentioned.

I have seen this happen in Salt Lake City as well. We owned a duplex at one time and had to evict some bad renters. They just up and left w/o taking any of their stuff. One saturday afternoon, my friends and I were moving their stuff out to a storage facility (in UT, you have to hold abandoned stuff for at least 30 days, but the renters have to pay their back rent, late fees, etc. in order to get it back. )
Anyway, Within about two hours, we had a truck of latinos show up digging throught stuff. We all ran out yelling for them to stop. They all quickly jumped back into the truck and sped off.
And they wonder why we call them dirty parasites!?!?!

I have a curbside issue! I can no longer sell my eggs or fruit and veggie's on the curb!

We used to have a small table stand just outside the gate with an unlock money box! When suddenly one day a man came up to my door, dog went berserk ( surprised she didn't bark sooner ) a man was peeking through my door! Dog chased him back, with him mumbling in incoherent spanglish, no mas eggs, I had sold out of eggs.

Now, I'm afraid of having a yard sale because of who might decide to come back later taking the stuff not for sale.

Phoenixguy, I and my husband rent in a complex where we are the only American family here, the rest are illegals. We have a motto in our household, "if it is not tied, bolted, glued or otherwise secured, they will take it". It is all so true.

We have a push mower for our small backyard, and many times were were out, came home to find it had been taken into one of the illegals patios, from our private backyard. We had our duplex neighbor, while we were home mind you, coming across to our side in order to take some of our bagged cans (in Oregon they are .05 cents returnable) and my son caught her (grown woman in her 40's!).

We have had bikes, scooters, toys, balls and all sorts of things taken from our front porch, side and backyards, it does not matter to them, if it is out they believe they can take it. Police can honestly do little unless these people have gotten into your home or your vehicle.

I have to honestly believe the people who come here illegally live this way in their own countries too and have to think this is why their own government is so hot on having us keep them here. To me is seems they come from a society of criminals, one which turns a blind eye to crime.

Thanks a ton for the feedback! Sadly, I've spoken with other friends, and each one of them has some story of thievery by the Mexicans here in the Phoenix area. One guy put a nice chair in his driveway for his friend to pick up an hour or so later (he had to go and do some things). Neighbors saw some Mexicans pick up the chair and take off.

Another guy was getting stuff stolen out of his fenced-in back yard, so one day while the "landscaping" company was supposed to come by and work, he stayed home, put an iPod out on his back table, and watched.

Sure enough one of the Mexican workers casually walked by and put it in his pocket and went about his business. To make things worse, when the homeowner came out and confronted the worker, he laughed and said in broken english "oh you got me!" and gave it back, thinking it was a Joke.

AFAIK unless you're in a gated community here in the Phoenix area, if you put ANYTHING out (or create a situation where they have access to your backyard) it's game for these thieves to take.

I think my wife sumed it up perfectly - "If the damn neighbors didn't hire them we wouldn't have this issue!"

It is all so true Phoenixguy. Around here we cannot leave anything out, including potted plants.

What gets me is WHY? To me it seems that their whole nation(s) is full of cleptomainiacs, otherwise how would you exlpain this phenomenom.

Well my only thoughts are, when people are brought up in a certain environment, and learn from their parents to live dysfunctionally, they they will follow that same path. This is the only thing that comes to mind.

Stealing into our country is just starters for them, then when they got away with that, why not try to rob the citizens of this country blind as well?

I think all this is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. I still have an ignorant friend back East (in New Jersey) who can't understand all the hub-bub about illegal aliens. All I can think is that things haven't gotten that bad out in New Jersey....yet.

Oh dear...this reminds me of when I used to live in San Diego. There is a huge problem there with people scavenging through garbage cans.

Even though it's garbage, it's still very disconcerting to wake up in the morning and realize that the trash you put out the night before is half gone...and the garbage truck hadn't even gotten there yet!

Originally Posted by americangirl

Oh dear...this reminds me of when I used to live in San Diego. There is a huge problem there with people scavenging through garbage cans.

Even though it's garbage, it's still very disconcerting to wake up in the morning and realize that the trash you put out the night before is half gone...and the garbage truck hadn't even gotten there yet!

You mean they didn't just toss the trash out all over the street? That's what I've seen happen. They dig through your garbage and throw the stuff they don't want out in the street or in your yard.

I'm familiar with this issue! We have many old trucks driving around piled high with old applicances, scrap metal, etc... -looking for stuff in the garbage. I can't believe it doesn't tumble all out.

Our garbage company will only take one item per household out of the can. So...if I have a bunch of stuff I want to get rid of I put one out, it's gone, put another out, it disappears, and so on. Sometimes it can work to my advantage -the traveling collectors.

But I agree, it can really get out of control.