Mayor Kevin Faulconer worked part of a yard waste collection shift for the city of San Diego's Environmental Services Department Tuesday, keeping a promise he made to employees last month.
He rode on the back of a trash truck and collected greenery from around 400 homes in Scripps Ranch. Their truck was not automated, so Faulconer and two other members of his crew had to lift containers and pour the contents into the back of the vehicle.
"The guys are great, man, they're hustling so much," Faulconer said. "We're picking up some cans that are heavier than others."
The self-described "rookie" said it was a chance to talk with crew members, see how things are going and find out what can be done differently. He told sanitation workers at a recent employee appreciation event that he wanted to experience a morning with them.
One of his co-workers on the truck, Marcos Valdez, said it was "a different day" and "a little slower-paced," earning laughs from people who were listening to his comments.
"It was real good for him to see what we do out here," Valdez said. "It's hard work, but it's the best job I ever had."
Faulconer spent more than one hour on the truck with Valdez and Toetu Fitiausi. Their route takes them to more than 1,500 homes, and the branches, grass, flowers, shrubs and leaves they collect goes to the Miramar Greenery, where it's made into compost.
