Community Coming Together: Part 2. The Binner.

His street name is Bob. I met him last summer when he asked if he could say hi to my daschunds, while I was walking them in Crabb Park. He often came to Crabb Park to meditate and had seen the hounds a few times, but had been too shy to ask previously.

He was living outside at the time, but seemed reasonably healthy, addiction free (?) and was picking up day work til his steel-toed boots got stolen.

He was clearly intelligent, articulate (soft spoken) although clearly something had gone seriously awry at some point for him.

Over the winter Bob made it through the months-long waitlist for subsidized indoor shelter, and things appear to be getting better for him. - He has a TV - commented that he saw me on Living Vancouver - and other basics of having a home again.

He now makes a living off of recyling, and I'll tell you, there is an extraordinary number of raw entrepreneurs lined up outside United We Can, with their carts full of containers and bottles.

Bob is meticulously methodical, and I've seen him in action a few times. He, like the others, have staked out their locations on the dates when Official Recyling Companies come by to pick up the bins full of stuff. Rain or snow, sleet or hail, he's at the appointed block at the appointed time.

Most Official Recycling Staff seem really good-hearted about letting Bob plunder the bins - but it has to be done like clockwork - empty one container while other less lucrative containers are being emptied by the Staff.

So Bob hustles as much as I've ever done in my life, reaching in and grabbing the good stuff, leaving the non-profitable stuff and ensuring it's all done in a tidy fashion - he wants to continue in their good graces!

That's one spot for the day, yielding a quarter shopping cart full or more, then it's on to the next part of town.

At the end of the day, there's enough for grocery money.

I am in awe, frankly, and grateful to the Official Recycling Staff for respecting Bob's efforts and letting him grab what he can.