An account to dumpster diving

her name is Stephanie

Here's an account of the 1 time i ever went dumpster diving:

I got rid of all my dumpster diving stuff... put it back in the dumpster, after I figured out I couldn't use any of the crap. My friend and I suited up in black and drove out to Midlothian around 10 on a Thursday night... we searched around semi-visible/ lit parking lots adjacent to the shopping centers. Most of the receptacles were actually sealed/ locked in some fashion! This included Target and Kohl's... one of our "targets." We climbed upon some of these, looking for an entrance but to no avail. There weren't any other cars or noises to alert us, so, though cautious, we never stopped what we were doing in fear of getting caught. We hit the jackpot with a dumpster outside of an audio-technology-accessories-I don't know what kind of store. They actually threw out workable mp3 players, complete in their packaging with batteries. Also, there were gift boxes that I did subsequently use for gifts to other people. We traveled onward to a framing shop bin. Think about frames in a frame shop... they usually contain some sort of crappy excuse for "art"... this was in the trashcan and I we picked up a couple paintings. Also, they had frame edges that were completely useless but we thought initially we would find some use for them. There was also a "happy birthday" banner and a spool of ribbon. Useful! We actually climbed all the way in this trashcan instead of picking things out. We did the same for Pier 1. My friend had found a great basket at pier 1 on a "shopping trip" before but this time it was just cardboard and Styrofoam. We ventured past some restaurant cans...some even labeled "grease only" which you could smell for about 50 feet. It was disgusting. We went through a sub shop trash looking for something edible but that was mostly... trash. Also, we avoided certain places for fear of being cut or poisoned. I was amazed at the waste we make as Americans. It heightened my sense of consumerism and environmental apathy in this world. We headed back to Richmond and stopped by Krispy Kreme...they didn't have anything... we just bought donuts. And then we headed over to papa johns because it was rumored that after they close, there are hot pizzas in the trash. not true. all in all, it was an interesting experience. It's kind of life thrift shopping because you have to search around until you get anything good. My friend who accompanied me has grandparents that grew up during the depression. They are old and they still go dumpster diving in the rich neighborhoods of northern Virginia.