I Spy a Trash Can

Danielle Jackson

In Elyria, Ohio, residents who put their trash out too soon had better watch out — for their neighbors. The city, which receives phone calls from neighborhood “snitches,” will fine residents $40 if they put their garbage out even one day before their scheduled pickup.

According to the city, it enacted the penalty during the summer when it received numerous complaints about the stench emanating from fermenting trash that had been sitting out for hours or even days. Most people aren't concerned with the fines, however — they care more about neighbors sticking their noses where they don't belong. “The neighbors do the complaining, and that's how we find out about it,” says Rob Given, Elyria's assistant service director.

Elyria is not the only city in northeast Ohio to have such a law. In Lakewood, residents are not even allowed to leave their trash near the curb — it must be kept out of sight, or they, too, could face a fine.

Source: NewsChannel5, Elyria, Ohio