You never know what you might find

Yesterday I met a man who calls himself a “binner”.  I assume this is a nicer way of saying “dumpster diver”.  He was a very nice man, and made good conversation.  He told me that he got hooked on it years ago when he went into a dumpster and found $700.  I laughed and told him that I would have been hooked too. 

He doesn’t have a "regular job", but he has chosen to do this to make a living and to help out other people.  That may sound odd, but just listen to this.  He says that every once in a while he will pass a bin and get the feeling that he should “check that bin right now” as he said.  Then, when he goes in to take a look, he finds all sorts of things.  All of his friends and family know that he does this, and they will occasionally mention something specific that they need or want.  Almost every time, he finds those very things unopened, unused and unsoiled the very same day.  He told me, “If there’s anything you need, all you have to do is ask, and chances are I will find it.”  I chuckled to myself and said “I really could use a new car!”  He then looked at me and said with a laugh, “Well, I could find you a car, but it will likely not be new, and I am pretty sure it wouldn’t be IN the bin, but just beside it.”

Today, just in the one buggy that he had with him, (he collects several a day just in the small area of town he frequents) he had found a few bags of unopened toys and unused clothing.  None of these things were dirty as one might expect them to be after being pulled from a dumpster.  They were all clean and smelled fine (yes I checked).  In fact, he gave me a brand new, name brand hoodie that still had the tags on it ($69.99).  All I have to do with it now is take it home and throw it in the wash before I use it, just like anything I would buy from a second hand store. 

I was really surprised, and my previous misconception about “dumpster divers” was thrown out the window.  It just goes to show that things and people aren’t always as they seem.

Thanks for "listening."