ABSTRACT
The natural playing out of the rhythms and routines of that quintessential^ urban activity-refuse collection -had almost a slow-motion rural quality to it that first day along with a garbage crew. On almost every Sunset route, the morning usually began-as this one did-with "blanket work." Blanket work means doing some preliminary chores, using great burlap squares, called blankets, to carry out the refuse before the company truck arrives with each man's carrying cans. In the Sunset area of the city, which is relatively flat, the barrel is rarely carried, but trundled from house to house, until finally it is wheeled up to the truck to be emptied. The choreography of the barrel involves more than filling, lifting, carrying, and emptying. There is an etiquette that must be followed at the hopper to avoid getting in each other's way.
