ABSTRACT
With all the problems and discontents in the work of the garbage collector, there are plenty of scavengers who will answer positively when you ask them, "What's good about this job?" They do not necessarily start off with the pay, although by San Francisco standards and even nationally the pay is good. The garbageman can develop the same appreciation for his route that others develop for a soap opera or the familiar characters of a television sit-com. That kind of continuity can be reassuring in a world of change. Of course, not all garbagemen are as fortunate as Sunset workers in the matter of outdoors work—and not only because of cold, rain, snow, or summer heat in other climates. Even the workers at the other San Francisco cooperative did not have it as easy as Sunset workers.
