Upset about all the trash talk

Re: “Scavenging from trash is illegal,” Mailbag, Aug.21. Have Burbank residents become so cruel that they would actually report someone who is trying to make a few dollars by digging into trash bins to extract recyclables?

I don’t think it’s right to tattle on scavengers; I figure if they’re doing it, they probably have to. It must be hard work culling through trash bins. Demeaning too, but for some it might be their only income. They have my permission to take whatever they can use from my blue recycling bin. I pay the monthly refuse bill so it should be my say, not the city’s.

If I were looking for clarification on whether or not it’s legal to retrieve material from trash bins, the last person I would ask is someone employed at the city. Of course the answer from an overpaid public works director is a resounding “no.” As for the municipal code, the city passes many ordinances that aren’t enforced. Try walking through Burbank Village on a weekend evening. The municipal code that states “no bicycling, skating, skateboarding” is a joke. Same for the code prohibiting smoking. The city might try enforcing ordinances that really affect others instead of threatening people who need the few bucks they can get from our trash. And shame on those of you who would call the police on someone who needs this money.

Molly Shore
Burbank