$20,000 trash cans? S.F. looks to roll out costly prototypes for pilot on street corners

SF Chronicle ^ | 7-23-21 | Mallory Moench

[dynachrome]

San Francisco elected officials struggling to deal with complaints about garbage piling up on the city’s sidewalks and streets have been waiting three years for a solution — only to get sticker shock when they heard the details this week.

Addressing the problem requires a good trash can, but on Wednesday, a committee of the Board of Supervisors wrestled with how to replace many substandard bins when it learned that a batch of new, custom-made design prototypes will cost $12,000 to $20,000 apiece.

When mass-produced, the cost per can will drop to an estimated $2,000 to $3,000. Still, supervisors balked at the price to get there.

[dynachrome]

I'm betting that the street derelicts have them open and broken the first week.

[nesnah]

Can you defecate in them?

[dynachrome]

The sidewalk is much easier.

[Enlightened1]

I bet the trash cans are tied to some politician that plans to steal the tax payer money via the trashcans that are probably not even $10 a can.

[Flick Lives]

Despite the high price tag, Haney and other committee members agreed Wednesday to advance to the full board for a vote on a proposal to build 15 trash can prototypes, five each of three different designs, for a pilot program. Haney said he reluctantly agreed because he didn’t want to further delay replacing old trash cans since Public Works worked for three years on a new prototype.

There is so much packed into those two sentences about everything wrong with a bloated, unaccountable, out of control government.

[V_TWIN]

“Mayor London Breed”

I think I may have found the problem

[Diogenesis]

a company sells these with stock owned
by CONGRESS, their SPOUSES, POLITICIANS,
their SPOUSES and THROUPLES.

and so it goes ... down.

[cockroach_magoo]

The lack of problem-solving skills appears to be a requirement for office according to the San Fran electorate.

[antidemoncrat]

Should be spelled Congre$$

[Maudeen]

Insanity rules in SF.

[V_TWIN]

Having worked in the competitive aviation industry for 36 years I learned time is money so processes are evaluated and analyzed within a inch of their lives to make sure time, effort, manpower and money are not wasted.

My facility adopted the Six Sigma DMAIC approach way back which takes a problem from identification to solution and a revisit of the solution at a later date to ensure the solution is in fact still working.....but I guess that would make a little too much common sense to beaurocrats.

SMH

[Buttons12]

Prices even Bergdorf’s can’t attain. Their priciest trash can goes for around $1400.

[milagro]

Or,CONGREED!

[Stosh]

Doesn’t matter what kind of trash can ‘prototype’ they develop - they only get used by people with some degree of personal responsibility. Personal responsibility isn’t exactly the defining characteristic of street people and vagrants.

[qaz123]

Which means they have to buy more, right?

Would love to follow the money and see how much money is kicked back to the decision makers.

[Openurmind]

Exactly. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. This won’t do any good anyhow.

[dblshot]

Talk about throwing money away.

[Spok]

That’s all San Francisco ever needed. Just better garbage cans. And don’t look at who’s making them and how they will make millions. Just marvel at the brilliant simplicity of this inspired solution.

[Openurmind]

Because they won’t use them anyway... If they want something that will actually work, they need to make cans that give out a ticket redeemable for cash per pound of garbage.

[Stravinsky]

One would think that the number/placement of trash cans and how frequently they are emptied would be the most important things, but taking a solved problem and coming out with an expensive, stylish alternate “solution” is very on brand for that crowd. Who cares if it works or is actually needed if it allows you to show off how hip you are?