Safety comes before compassion

RE: Another’s treasure (Sept. 16)

I read this article with great interest since the condo I live in recently put in measures to deter “binners.”

Our garbage bin and recycling area is at the rear of the property, so the “binners” would come right onto private property. Many residents would come across them in this area since they would Dumpster dive during the day as well as after hours. They usually left quite a mess that the super had to regularly clean up and we were also concerned about their safety, diving into glass, etc.

Still, as I read the article, I thought maybe we had made a mistake since it pointed out that this activity was “good noble work” and they are, after all, just trying to scrape up some needed money.

Near the end of the article it is pointed out that many pickers have medical conditions and substance abuse issues. I revised my thinking when I read this and especially about the fact that “binners” have their territories and one actually pulled out a machete on a “co-worker” who wasn’t worried since he is prepared with a tool that can double as a defence mechanism.

As far as I know, the only people who should be armed to carry out their work are the police. At this point I realized that we must err on the side of safety even if at the expense of compassion. Jane Slote, Hamilton