Blanket bureaucratic policies don’t work for everyone

By Letter to the Editor on December 29, 2021.

 Well it finally happened, our garbage collection has been moved from the alley to the front street.
We live in an established north side area, backing onto a neighbourhood park.
We have a well maintained, paved back lane.
Waste and Recycling have outlined the reasons for this change and I will paraphrase their comments.
1) “Front collection is much safer, Weather conditions, parking issues and objects in alleys can be dangerous or impassable”. In our actual situation (possibly because the alley backs onto a park) there are never vehicles parked in it, there is never junk stored in it, and all fences are in good condition. The trucks enter and make a quick and simple loop around the park.
2) “Front collection keeps alleys intact and prevents damage caused by heavy garbage trucks”. In our situation, the alley is in excellent condition and shows no damage.
3) “Front collection encourages residents to take their carts back onto their property”. Here, this has been a non-issue. Bins are consistently, quickly removed from the alley once emptied. Perhaps my neighbours are more responsible than most Lethbridge citizens.
4) “Front collection creates operational efficiencies, less backing up and fewer tight areas to negotiate”. Again, a non-issue as the trucks make a quick loop around the park with no obstacles or backing up required.
Before this change, our bin was located inside the back fence and it took about six steps to put it in the alley. Now I have to take about 60 steps to the street (that’s OK as I need the exercise).
In the alley, the bins are located by fences so our westerly winds have little impact. On the front street they are fully exposed, so when the wind blows the bins go.
There you have it. I want to be a typically polite Canadian and summarize this letter with one appropriate word, “dumb.”
 I realize that the situation I have described is not the same for everyone, but I hope it shows why blanket bureaucratic policies often make little sense. As we deal with things like COVID and climate change, this is a small issue. However, it feels good to express my concerns.
Tim Greenlee
Lethbridge