LAWRENCE CO.—An observant reader captured this photo of a dumpster-diving man out back of the Lawrenceville post office this morning (Sunday, June 2, 2013) around 6 a.m.
Now, we here in southern Illinois are all too familiar with dumpster diving; it’s actually been seen so frequently in our little communities and/or the townships where dumpsters are taken so folks in the country can dispose of their junk that it’s kind of become a local sport; after all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And, it’s not illegal to go through trash. California v. Greenwood determined in 1988 that outdoor trash receptacles that aren’t in a fence or other enclosure are the public’s domain…so dumpster diving is legal.
But…at a post office?
There’s not a lot to be gained from a postal dumpster, especially if it’s used exclusively for the post office (which it should be, but some folks will dump their trash in errant dumpsters in order to avoid paying trash pick-up fees). And that might be just what dude is doing here in the photo. But then again, it might not be. So we’re here to give you this friendly little reminder: be careful what you throw out in the trash at the post office. Yes, we know it’s annoying to get those credit card or loan solicitations through the mail, and it’s tempting to just chuck em and forget about it. But that’s what people who are all into identity theft count on. Many of those forms are all pre-filled-out with your name, address, etc. All an identity thief has to do on many of these forms is fill them out, forge a signature, and they have a new credit card within a few days.
So use caution…always take your stuff home with you from the post office and dispose of it at home, preferably after it’s shredded or otherwise torn up or altered so that someone can’t get into YOUR trash at the curb and help themselves to your good credit.