Sunday, May 3, 2009

Swiss Sins

The Swiss have lots of rules. Of course, we believe that while everyone acknowledges the fact that there are lots of rules, no one quite knows what all those rules are. But, there are some that even we are aware of, and those involve garbage.

You pay for garbage by the bag around here. It's CHF2.40 per bag of garbage, at least in our gemeinda (town). Our apartment building has two dumpsters (small!) for 20 apartments. You can't just throw garbage into the dumpsters, it all must be bagged with the proper tax sticker on it. Different stickers for different sized bags, of course.

So, you can't take out your garbage frequently, unless you wish to go broke. Nor do you wish to take anything but a full bag out. (And by full bag I mean FULL. You should see how these people can stuff those garbage bags. I haven't quite mastered the skill, as my bags always have air pockets.)

The big problem I have is a poop producing baby. I can't throw his stinky diapers in outside trash, because they would have to be properly bagged and stickered, and who wants to pay CHF2.40 for each poopy diaper? (Quite frankly, I think someone should pay me that amount for each diaper.) I don't have spare grocery bags to wrap them in, either, as you have to buy bags and those bags are paper.

I use the bags from the produce or occasionally take a black bag from the ubiquitous dog dropping kits. But sometimes, I have none of these available and the thought of putting a poopy diaper under the sink for 3 or 4 days is rather appalling. So, IK have, on occasion, committed what I am sure is an offense worthy of jail: I take the diaper with me to the tram station and put it in the garbage can there.

I'm sure it's not meant for such disposals, but what am I supposed to do? There is no sign saying I can't. (Although at the park there are signs on the garbage can saying no household trash. The sign is in German, but I figured it out.)

So, that's my sin, and I intend to not give this one up, because I don't want my kitchen smelling like a rest stop.

And speaking of rest stops, every public toilet has a toilet brush next to it. No one would dare walk away leaving any presents for the next person. It's awesome.

4 comments:

  1. Wow! I would be sinning right there with you! Babies poop so much! You'd go broke having to pay to dispose of a diaper every time. What does everyone do there with their stinky diapers?

    And I love the toilet brush idea!

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  2. LAWBREAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Your picture just came off my fridge. My hero worship has come to an abrupt halt.

    The whole topic is just crappy.

    Saw your man(Jason) today. He looks thin. Have you stopped feeding him as punishment for dragging you to switzerland?

    Glad you are okay other than the diapers and the drunken students.

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  3. So do you get charged for recycling too, or just trash?

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  4. Wow, that is quite a dilemma... could you have a separate can outside for stinky things, and then when your kitchen garbage bag is almost full put the stinky things from outside on top and then dispose of?

    It indeed does sound like a pain. Maybe the Swiss would suggest you switch to cloth diapers! (I can't imagine what that would be like. Yuck.)

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