Ok besides the @ssholes who go into it for information gathering to rip off people (like ID theft), the other side of dumpster diving is for free stuff even eatable food. I will admit that a lot of people throw away working computers by sitting them beside the trash been so it only makes sense that someone re-uses them instead of sending the toxic materials to go in a junk yard.
2006-07-06 07:53:42 · 10 answers · asked by Am 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
well i do not know that it is illegal, the courts have ruled many times that reporters are free to root through someones trash to get the story. police have done it also to get evidence. although if you are on someones property you could be charged with trespassing
2006-07-06 18:30:31 · answer #1 · answered by daniel_97202 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
OK,I'm not really sure,so perhaps I shouldn't try to answer it,but I can think of some reasons why it might be.Dumpsters are usually rented,so they're not public property.I know if you put something out to the curb for trash pick-up,it's up for grabs.It literally becomes public property.Dumpster diving might be considered trespassing because it's enclosed and/or rented space.Also,the concern might be because you can never really tell whether someone is just taking something,or if they're dumping things illegally.That can be a real problem,so maybe that's the main concern.Someone has to pay to have the dumpster emptied,and they don't want it filled up faster by someone else's trash.That's what I've gathered by working places that have rented dumpsters.Also,it's kind of creepy to go out to dump the trash and find someone in the dumpster.
2006-07-06 08:07:48 · answer #2 · answered by kimberli 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you sure that it's illegal--all over the USA, and in every case? If you're correct, and it IS, in fact, illegal, then I'd imagine that it has something to do with private property, in the sense that if someone were to "trespass" on private property and get hurt, then they could potentially sue the person on whose property the dumpster was located.
I went dumpster-diving last year, actually. I was getting a ride from one of my classmates, and she noticed that my condo complex had a big dumpster out for the semi-annual major garbage haul. She asked whether I'd be interested to see if there was anything that could be usable for our art class in the dumpster, and I said, "Sure, why not?" So we pulled out a lot of stuff--some of it for our class, and some of it for her church's charities, and we put it into the back of her van. No one objected. I had no idea that that sort of thing was (actually or potentially) illegal.
Or maybe it's one of those things that's illegal "on the books," but that's rarely actually prosecuted? Maybe it's something that the cops use as an excuse to arrest certain annoying vagrants who haven't been caught doing anything else that's clearly illegal?
P.S. This probably isn't legal, either, but no one prosecutes it: Folks around here put out stuff on the sidewalks or in their driveways with a "FREE' sign on it. Someone always takes it. (But this is not so good, because of the "eyesore factor" and because sidewalks get partially-blocked, and sidewalks are pretty-much public.)
And the post about "Freecycle"? Freecycle ROCKS! I highly recommend it! Most of the Freecyle chapters (maybe ALL of them?) can be found under "Yahoo Groups."
2006-07-10 04:42:07 · answer #3 · answered by Cyn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simply put, it is gross to have idiots rooting around in the garbage. And your rationalization for this bad behavior is laughable. As a citizen, it is my right to not have to see you doing this. You WILL be arrested. And almost no one will take your side on this (which should tell you something).
The name for someone who violates the rights of others and arrogantly assumes that they have a right to do so based on whatever insanity comes to mind....is criminal. And the place for criminals is jail.
Get it? I hope so. There are harsh consequences if you don't.
2006-07-06 08:00:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because the homeless (bums) were getting hurt and suing business owners. You see dumpsters are private property. If I own it, I can tell you to keep your grubby paws off of it.
2006-07-06 08:05:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
To some extent, the truth is shown in Panacea's attitude. Nobody wants to SEE the evidence of their own wastefulness - they're scared of it because they know it's wasteful and they're scared enough to pass a law that stops them having to look at what would otherwise be plainly obvious to us all - the waste of resources in the West is criminal.
2006-07-06 08:16:49 · answer #6 · answered by mdfalco71 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mostly its probably the first part. ID theft. I agree that too much is wasted in this country.
2006-07-06 07:58:05 · answer #7 · answered by mamadixie 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it's because they technically think of it as trespassing and stealing, which is bullshit.
2006-07-06 07:57:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no clue on that answer but I like this website. http://www.freecycle.org
2006-07-06 07:57:27 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
guess they dont want people saving money......
2006-07-06 07:56:42 · answer #10 · answered by Puma 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋