In Taiwan, trash disposal is a classical affair
Like frozen novelty-craving children summoned by the entrancing tune of ‘Greensleeves,’ rubbish-wielding citizens in Taiwan are beckoned outside by Beethoven-playing garbage trucks.
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I lived in Taiwan from 2000-2007. Yes, Fur-Elise was an everyday sound. The trucks come everyday but I don't have much experience taking out the trash as I always lived in a building with a door man.
Yes, I have seen the English lessons broadcast from the trucks.
The multiple trucks are because of recycling. I remember the fine was like $8000NT for throwing away recyclables.
I visit Taipei regularly, staying in a densely populated neighborhood near the Tai Power Station subway stop. I've heard both Fur Elise as well as the tune playing on this clip. I can almost set my watch when the first strains of the garbage truck sound down the street. Great country with wonderful people.
Are you sure that the music in the video is Fur Elise?
That one is A Maiden's Prayer, and is the most common of the songs used by the trash trucks, in my experience.
The music is most definitely not by Beethoven...
I lived in Taiwan from 1969-71. Trash pickup was done by men who would take certain items until it was all gone. One might take paper, another cans, and so on. At Christmas time you would leave red envelopes with a few bucks in each, and each diffreent "trash man" would take one envelope.
I think we had a total of 5 different guys going through the trash. The last guy took whatever was left after the first guys had gone through it. They never seemed to have any problems only taking one envelope either, honor system I suppose. Kind of strange at first, having men come into the carport and sort through the trash, but after a while you got used to it. I really liked the "buy-sell" men. They would come by offering to purchase American appliances and Playboy magazines. I think for.... More
(and how little each resident seems to be throwing in the back of the trick).
um try editing much?
It's really a pretty social event as well. Neighbors will all line up outside for trash disposal and start talking, and even after they throw the trash into the truck, they'll stand around and chat to one another about their kids, or politics or whatever.
Sure have. Visited in-laws in Taipei before the change and can attest to the odor and vermin in the central trash chutes. Then on a return visit was witness to the new process and trash chute doors welded shut. It did help with cleanliness and is interesting to see. It appears so little is thrown away because so much is recycled. You should check out trash day in Japan sometime too. And if you place something in the trash that can be recycled, you'll hear about it! Remove all the plastic.... More
Sons like pokemon music :)
I visit relatives in Taipei annually and every evening, my aunt disposes the garbage at the same time. And its amazing how little garbage there is to dispose. Because the garbage collection comes every night, it also means the neighborhood is much cleaner and sanitary than in past years. Rodents and cockroaches are less common now because the rubbish pile no longer sits in the streets. It's a great method, especially in such large cosmopolitan areas!
I lived in Taiwan for a while and have visited there often. Here are a couple more oddities (and I hope I'm getting the details right - someone correct me if not):
At one point in the past, the garbage trucks broadcast English lessons rather than music, but they stopped that when they found that only the garbage truck drivers were improving their English.
In Taipei, there are private companies contracted to collect the trash. In a creative method to pay the companies, you can.... More
