No, I ain't even stopping.

As a reminder, I'm a truck driver for a company that delivers and stores large containers.

Now my job consists of two basic things. Driving the truck in a safe and efficient manner, and operating the hydraulic lift in the same way. There are other aspects to my job, like having customers fill out rental paperwork and the like, but that's about it.

Now when we go to pick up a container, full or empty, we are allowed to make a judgment call on whether we are able to make the pick up or not. Unsafe conditions and an inability to get to the container are two common reasons for not being able to do a pick up.

Today, I had a pick in a rather low-rent area. I rolled up, and saw that not only was there a ton of crap along side the container, leaning up against it in many places, there was a freaking log in front of the pod. I didn't even stop. Just kept rolling.

Previously, I had tried to call the customer. One phone led to a full message box, the other (home) line just rang with nothing picking up. Still I tried again, hoping to leave a message. Still no luck. I let my boss know what is going on, mark the job "incomplete" and go to a nearby pick-up that I had been given since I was in the area and really needed an empty container of that size for another customer.

( Then my phone rings. . . )

Well, he was pleasant. The house, BTW, looked like a stereotype of White Trash, down to the rusted out muscle car in the driveway.