What about milk jugs?

Funny story...On my way to class this morning, I parked about 6 blocks away to avoid getting a ticket in the "Residential Parking" zone from the meter maids. During my stroll to class I noticed a Penske (U-Haul-like) truck creeping down the street. As I approached the truck I noticed the driver looking at me as if he was guilty of something. Then I noticed that he had the back door of the truck open with two people jumping in and out of the back as they ran to and from the recycling bins at each residence. They were picking up cans and bagging them up. With the unemployment rate increasing, I guess this is a new innovative method of grabbing a few extra bucks to help ease the financial burden of crack-cocaine purchases.

I'm not aware of any "aluminum-can theft" regulations regarding residential recycling bins. Is it theft if you leave something on the street in a trash bin and someone comes by and reaps the benefits? I doubt it, but then again I don't really know. After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure. How about invasion of privacy? I seriously doubt that anyone has a privacy interest in unbagged trash. Would it make a difference whether the cans were already bagged? What if the trash can is sitting halfway on the sidewalk and halfway in the driveway? Is it trespass? Do signs need to be posted? See what kind of questions go through my head now that I'm in law school.

As a side note concerning meter maids...These folks are quick to write a ticket for parking too long in residential zones, especially when it comes to taking advantage of the law students being in class. One of the buildings at the law school has a restaurant and tables for people to study at. Often times I see meter maids sitting in the lobby area trying to catch a break from the heat outside. Someone (I assume it was a fellow law student) taped a sign on the lobby wall saying, "Attention meter-maids: No parking here. Please leave." Now that's clever.