My First and Last Day as a Trash Valet

Following a very long COVID deployment, my business was sitting at a standstill, and I was looking for ways to fill cash shortfall. In my search I found a job listed a “Trash Valet” with an hourly rate of $30 hourly. At first, I laughed because it felt like they had come up with a politically correct title, instead of calling it a garbage man. I soon found out that a Trash Valet is an actual thing, so I applied thinking that pay rate was not so bad. I received a call rather quickly, and it was explained to me that the rate was listed wrong in the ad, and that it was actually $15 hourly, but he was desperate and agreed to $20. I agreed to give it a try and he wanted me to start that night at 8 pm. The catch was that I needed to have my own truck, which I do, however, there was no mention of any incentive for using a personal vehicle.

It was not long into the evening when I realized that this was not going to be for me, especially after my truck was littered with unknown smelly liquids. It was even more convincing that this was not for me, when all these strange liquids started getting all over me. The work was never ending, going up and down stairwells, carrying heavy bags of trash, loading them into my truck, then loading them into the compactor. I think the most amazing thing about this night, was just how much trash was being generated by this apartment complex. I believe…