A.P.B.

Stop, thief!

I've been robbed!

Who steals my purse steals trash;  'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.

William Shakespeare, Othello, Act 3, Scene 3.

*     *     *     *     *

Actually, the problem is not that someone has stolen my good name, or my purse.  It is that someone has stolen my trash.  More specifically, my favorite trash can.

I took the trash out Wednesday for pickup on Thursday.  When I came home Thursday, it was late and dark, and I was driving my car.  My car is way too new to toss a used garbage can into.  It is about fifty yards from the can to my house, and in the dark, I worry about stepping in fire ant hills, or on snakes (though to be fair to the snakes, they tend to get out of the way, and there aren't all that many of them).

All this is by way of explaining why I decided to leave the can there and pick it up the following morning.  Friday, I worked a late shift, so I got to sleep in.  I got up, drank a pot of coffee, blogged, and then decided to go fetch the paper and the garbage can.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the can (and the lid, lying separately) was gone.  Someone had stolen my garbage can.

Nah, thought I.  I must have taken it to the back of the house and forgotten that I had done it.  Sort of like those people who take Ambien and binge eat or drive without knowing it.  Or maybe someone else had put it in back of the house (some of my friends and or my husband's do random acts of kindness for me).  But no.  The can was gone.

It was my favorite can.  The reason is that it has a locking lid, so the racoons, possums and dogs can't get into the garbage and decorate the whole yard with it.  It was about five years old, and we bought it at Home Depot for about $30.  A replacement will run about $35. 

But now, after this brush with crime, I fear I'll always be afraid to leave the can out unguarded.

Who on earth steals a five-year old garbage can and lid?

Comments

[Houston]

On the other hand, have you ever tried to throw a trash can away? I tried once.