Scrappers and Junk Trucks

They sputter down the street with some dangerous amount of garbage piled into their vehicle. It could be a truck, it could be a van -- it's probably rusty -- But no junk truck would be complete without some type of trailer or jury rigged wheel barrow cart thing getting towed behind. If you're in your car, you try your best to avoid the side of the street their occupying, because if one of the several lawn mowers stacked one-on-top-of-the-other falls out of their POS and onto your ride, your day would have just become that much worse. When you take out your trash you usually see 'em. You watch as they stop, get out of their makeshift disaster caster, grab some garbage from your curb before they jump back into their truck, and cruise away.

Well, I'm one of those people who drives through your neighborhood, and if you have ever had a sour encounter with one of those junk truck monsters, I'm very sorry! The truth is many people who do this aren't as crazy as they may seem at first glance. Many Scrappers are just high school or college kids looking to make some money. Some are regular guys, who due to some of the serious economic issues of recent, are looking for a way to feed their families. Some are just regular guys who have found a lucrative hobby. Of course, the rest of them are mostly the type of people you dont want to get stuck sitting next to on the subway. 

A scrapper has one goal, and one goal in mind: metal. If its a nice day, I might just go see what the curb is willing to give me, and I'm usually pleasantly surprised. When you least expect it, the world finds a way to toss something right into your lap. When I jump into my truck, it is usually because the thought of someone else finding some hidden treasure has gotten to me. 

When you throw out a lamp, some door knobs, a piece of aluminum siding, a car bumper, a computer, a bike, some pipe, a radiator, a sink, a pump, a garbage disposal, washing machine, microwave, or any other metal containing object, you are throwing away money. You are, in my, mind, taking dollars bills and putting them at the curb. I, as a scrapper, and driving down the street collecting all of these dollars that you leave for me to pick up. Can you blame me? 

Many people label scrappers as  bottom feeders or scavengers, and some scrappers see themselves that way. But the fact is scrappers are performing a valuable duty to society each and every day. (I am, I realized, making a bold claim.) The facts concur: over 2/3 of all alloys made today have recycled metals in them. Over 33% of all aluminum used in production today is recycled. While most scrappers don't realize this, many of them are doing the environment good. 

So if you are taking out the trash one day and have a couple door handles or a shoe box full of pipe fittings that you know you're never going to use, set them at the curb open for someone to see or make a little "scrap metal" sign. You might as well make sure someone can see the dollar bills your setting out the street!