The City Council of Real de Gandia has issued a statement calling for civic-mindedness from residents after locating a bathtub and other waste next to the containers. The news, presented as a call for citizen responsibility, hides a less friendly strategy: preparing the ground to increase fines and surveillance. The real problem is not a lack of education, but a bulky waste collection service that operates once a week and a recycling center with impossible hours for those who work.
The Technology of Evasion: Smart Containers and Automatic Fines 🚮
While the council points fingers, residents point to overflowing containers. The technical solution involves increasing the frequency of bulky waste collection and bringing the recycling center closer to citizens. However, the administration opts for a more efficient surveillance system: cameras and sanctions. It is cheaper to install sensors in containers than to hire a daily collection service. The result is a vicious cycle where the citizen pays the waste fee, leaves the items out because they cannot access the service, and then receives a fine for it.
The Bathtub of Discord: Pay, but Don't Bathe in Excuses 🛁
It turns out the famous bathtub was left by a resident who had paid the waste fee. The council, however, refused to collect it without an additional cost. So the citizen, fed up with waiting, decided to return the bathtub to the public street as an artistic gesture. The council, instead of investing in cleaning, has launched an awareness campaign that sounds like: pay taxes, but don't expect services. Civic-mindedness is a perfect excuse to not lift a finger, except to draft sanctions.