Gentlemen garbage men

Thanks to the author of the article from Frýdlant n. O.

Perhaps each of us wished to be a garbage collector as a child. That idyll when you ride on a kuka wagon, the wind blows in your hair and you wave to passers-by. But I guess the "garbage men" themselves don't see it as such an idyll. In any weather, whether it's hot or cold, they have to honestly get on that step and the wind in their hair is really not their friend.  The bins are heavy and not exactly fragrant.

In our tiny village of Kamenka, near Odry, municipal waste is exported by AVE CZ odpadové hospodářství s.r.o., specifically the Frýdlant nad Ostravicí plant. This would not be so unusual, but in our area it is a big event every Thursday, especially for small children. I wish you could see the children in the kindergarten waiting by the fence on Thursdays for the right time, looking excitedly at the white truck with the AVE logo in the distance. The driver slows down, honks his horn and the gentlemen on the podium wave to the children. It's a small gesture for some, but for those shining children's eyes it's a really big deal. A classic village detour and bin collection follow, but here too it's not without a child audience. Their work is an event in every home where they have young children. These children, too are standing in their gardens, stuck to the fence, waiting for the smiling faces of our "Gentlemen Garbage Men". They, too, are graced with honks and waves.

In today's hectic times, when work is often seen as a duty, it is rare to see people who can show empathy and represent their company in such an exemplary way. Our "gentlemen garbage collectors" deserve a heartfelt THANK YOU.

Karína Kopecká, Frýdlant n. O