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A comment on Dumpster Diving FAQ (2004). Parent comment

Re:Dumpster Diving FAQ (2004) by blauditore on Monday February 27, 2023 @11:46AM (#34958625)
Note that not all dumpsters on a construction site are trash. The best example is metal, where a full dumpster brings significant money instead of costing to dispose of. When I was working in a construction company, on a regular basis some dudes came along "offering" to empty the metal dumpster for free.

So it's always better to ask first, otherwise it's technically stealing.

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Re:Dumpster Diving FAQ (2004) by dsfyu404ed on Monday February 27, 2023 @12:38PM (#34959396)
>So it's always better to ask first, otherwise it's technically stealing.

This is real world-illiterate textbook advice.

You can't ask because then you're pushing the responsibility of you being there onto someone else. They don't want some ambulance chasing lawyer to come bitching at them if you get hurt so they have to say no. But if you're discreet can just pretend that you're trespassing.

So just don't ask and know what is or isn't fair game.

Additionally, scrap of the mixed random stuff variety that is worth picking through is cents a pound. They won't care if you're not taking serious volume.

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Re:Dumpster Diving FAQ (2004) by domtron_vox on Monday February 27, 2023 @05:15PM (#34962730)
We usually asked with only a few turning us down, though we are fairly rural/small town so the builders we interacted with may not have been burned by people that are sue happy or maybe are just smaller and didn't consider that legal aspect.
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Re:Dumpster Diving FAQ (2004) by systems_glitch on Monday February 27, 2023 @07:16PM (#34964024)
The correct question is, "HEY YOU THROWING THAT OUT?!"
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