Brothers in arms may be somewhat over dramatic, but I just mean to say I have a sense of camaraderie towards those who scrap. Why shouldn’t I? Most of the time scrappers keep their distance from one another, at least near me where things are damn competitive, but that doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t be understanding of one another.
I was selling my scrap today, when I heard a fight break out in the parking lot. I walked out to see a couple guys wrestling/fighting on the dirtyasphalt. I ran over to them and actually physically got between the two. The parking lot wasn’t empty, there were some other people standing around, but thats all they were doing until I stepped in. Once I started pulling the two guys apart then the rest of them sort of stepped in too.
Once they settled down I could get a good look at their faces. The older guy was probably around 35 or 40 years old with silvering hair and a goatee. The other guy was younger, maybe 23 or so, and had a fresh bruise on his jaw and a lip slowly growing fat. It wasn’t hard to tell who was winning. The kid was going on about how that crazy guy punched him for no reason. Well when the winner started talking, it was clearly apparent he had a screw or two loose. I remember him saying something about the kid stealing some of his copper or something, but neither of the two had any copper.
I walked away from them at that point and let one of the yard crew deal with the mess, but I was shocked a bit at how everybody else just sort of waited around while two guys fought on the pavement. It was nothing like the UFC, but somehow everybody else thought it was. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t really understand why some scrappers don’t feel a sense of humanity towards those they compete with. I admit, scrapping is not the only way I make money; I don’t feel like its the only way I can survive. I sort of felt like that a long time ago, and I could really see it in “the winner’s” eyes today. I don’t think, however, that even that is a reason to lash out at someone.
Now this happening may not be a very good example of scrappers fighting with other scrappers (mainly because the one guy was sort of a nut) but its not the only thing that I’ve observed. When I am out in the afternoon junk hunting near my house, some scrappers will flick me off, or stare rudely. When I pass other scrappers, I give them a little wave and quick smile, and that’s that; what makes some people so incapable of human interaction?
I would enjoy talking to the other scrappers at the yard, but there is too much of a disconnect between the community. Now its probably because of the type crazy guys like a mentioned earlier, but thats only like 3% of us. I know its not going to change, because yes people are fiercely competitive when it comes to this, but you can’t disagree that having a little more of a “scrapping community” would be a nice change. Can you?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I definitely agree and make it a point to interact with and leave the people i come across while scrapping better than when i found them. Its part of my job.
Amen brotha.
Yeah man. I posted on the free pages that I am picking up appliances and e waste for free to get the business going. A week later a see post for the same thing, but its not me! First I knee jerk react that I’m agitated that someone else is using my strategy after I made it public. Slowly I then see the good in it. I called the guy up and asked him where he was operating out of, how far south in the community he was willing to pick up, etc. I inform him that I am doing the same thing he is but since he’s staying north and I’m staying south, that we should be working together. Either one gets any leads in the others half, we inform each other. Simple. The other guy was ecstatic because he had been spending more on gas, like me, and wanted a simple solution. Just to show him I was serious I gave him two prospects that I couldn’t make it to because they were 30 miles too far, but just right for him. It’s mutually beneficial to work with fellow scrappers than against.
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing!