I rifle through paper trash sometimes if it's apparent there are circulars and stuff... just to grab the coupons that are handed out in those Kohl's packets. My landlord has signs up against advertisements and throws them out before I get home, so I miss out on all the coupon action. Sometimes it's just to grab doubles, too, since there are good deals like free rolls of toilet paper.

If you see a girl with long hair and glasses running her fingers through your papers, don't fret. I just want to get in on the cheap grocery action.

It's true. Once your garbage hits the curb, it is fair game to anyone...including identity thieves and yes, even the police.

If you see something, say something (on the internet).

We live on sixth - there is a guy we have seen a few times going through out cans next to the building, but quickly moves on once you get close to him or yell.

I think you are right to say that going through trash is OK, but I believe mining through trash with the intent to cause harm changes the interpretation.

Anthing put out from trash is fair game - great place for info and id theft.

I was thinking of doing a search in Healy's and Comey's trash, the next time they put out their cans.

I lived in Brooklyn and they have a law about pinching cans on recycling. The city makes money on recycling. It is considered city property once it hits the curb. If one takes from the recycling, they can be arrested or ticketed for city property theft.

With regards to credit theft, I pay everything online which is probably just as bad as a bag on the curb. At least my bank backs me up.


http://www.greendaily.com/2007/09/26/ ... -is-stealing-recyclables/

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See Here

Short answer: Yes.

And for
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+1 for making me laugh

Um... isn't it perfectly legal to go through someone's garbage?

Do you really think people working at the garbage sorting facility can't go through your stuff if they want to?

Anyway.. everyone should have a shredder. Why would you think it's ok to put bank statements in a bag but not taped up to your front door? Same thing.. anyone can get to it.

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The 1988 Case of California vs. Greenwood (http://www.answers.com/topic/california-v-greenwood?cat=biz-fin) held that there is no common law expectation of privacy for discarded materials. Specifically, this case involved a Laguna Beach Police investigation in which evidence of drug use was obtained from curbside refuse bins. In that decision, the Supreme Court reached the decision that ?It is common knowledge that plastic garbage bags left on or at the side of a public street are readily accessible to animals, children, scavengers, snoops, and other members of the public? (California v. Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35, 39 (1988))

Currently, five States have upheld this Supreme Court decision:

* California. People v. Krivda, 486 P.2d 1262 (Calif. 1971), vacated and remanded, 409 U.S. 33 (1972),
* reaff'd, 504 P.2d 457 (1973), cert. denied, 412 U.S. 919 (1973).
* Hawaii. State v. Tanaka, 701 P.2d 1274 (Haw. 1985).
* New Jersey. State v. Hempele, 576 A.2d 793 (N.J. 1990).
* Washington. State v. Boland, 800 P.2d 1112 (Wash. 1990).
* Vermont. State v. Morris, 680 A.2d 90 (Vt. 1996).

I did not assume what happened to others WOULD happen to me...plus when you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME!

OH...and just to be a coward and pass the buck...why am I the only one you're calling out here? There are two other people who saw it!!

It's cause I'm pretty, huh?
You're cute too.

*STOMP FEET*
I'm done here!!!
*STOMP FEET*

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How did you know they were gypsies? Was it the music?

Why would you assume that what happened to others would happen to you!

Way to be a proactive resident.

I'm done here!

You are NOT wrong! Good detective work! We DID just sit there and watch it all happen. I was contemplating going up to him and putting him under citizen's arrest until the cops showed up for "some guy going through trash" - but then I realized my complaint would be logged AFTER the traffic violations so many posters here have submitted...the cops STILL haven't shown up for theirs so as of today I would've STILL had that biker under citizen's arrest on Eighth Street.

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Correct me if i'm wrong, so you and your friend just sat there and watched this person do this.

Did you try to report this to the JC non emergency number so that it can be investigated by JCPD?

I was walking down Grove towards Grand St. around midnight last night and there was a guy going through large garbage bags with a flash light. Don't know what he was looking for, but I did instantly think of identity theft. It was also added to my list of strange things you see when walking around downtown that late.

That's what I thought too...I'll usually give the benefit of the doubt.
But #1 I've seen the man who goes through the trash bags for cans each week and it wasn't him and #2 when this teenager pulled his backpack around to put stuff in it you could tell - even from where we were - that it wasn't cans, bottles or anything that looked like it could be of use.

I saw it.

This guy looked shady. Was spending WAY too much time on each bag.

Sometimes they are looking for cans and bottles that have a 5 cent deposit in new york. But, yes they could also be looking for financial statements.

We shred but noticed the same thing happened with us with gypsies going through our garbage.

Monday night my friend and I witnessed a teenager on a bike stopping to dig through people's garbage bags (sitting on the curb waiting to be picked up by our loud ?friends?).

The kid didn?t see us because we watched from a stoop across and down the street but when anyone started walking towards him he's stop and pretend to do something else.

My friend suggested he could be looking for credit card statements or anything related to stealing a person's identity! He definitely wasn't looking for food or "trash treasures" to take home and refurbish.

Just a heads up...shredders may be a good investment if you don?t already own one!!!