Adventures with the Dustbin At the Post Office.

Yesterday, I walked down to TTPost in Carlton Center so that I could pay VAT on the game I'm going to review, A Force More Powerful. It had all started in the morning when the doorbell rang, and the postman was standing there with something I had to sign to assure that I had received the notice to get the thing.

Walking to Carlton Center is easy, perhaps 10 minutes at most, and along the way I ran into various people I know - thus stopping for 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there, but with plenty of time to get to the post office. When I got there, I stood in line and watched one lady doing something with a customer for Western Union, and two other ladies in front of computers writing in books and shuffling paperwork. After a few minutes of standing there, someone attended to me and I paid about $35 TT (less than $6 US) to get this game. It was in a bulky package - about the 81/2" by 11" by 2". I could hear the game rattling around inside, so I decided to pull it open at the table for customers, near the door, where two security men were leaning and chatting.

I opened the box. Pulled out the game - about the standard size of a DVD holder - and stuck it in my bag. I tossed the box, now empty, in the dustbin - or garbage can, whatever floats your boat.

One security guard tells me that I can't put the box in the dustbin. I stare at him as if he had grown another nose on his face. He repeats himself.

I make no move to pull the box out of the otherwise empty dustbin. I ask him, "Why?"

"Because people might think that TTPost is opening their mail here."

"But TTPost did open my mail, so that they could see what was in my package and charge me VAT."

"That's different."

"OK, so why can't I throw my rubbish in this dustbin?"

"You can't throw the box in there because people might think..."

"Yes, but I signed for the box. My signature is available. I have a right to use the dustbin. It doesn't even have my shipping information on the box anymore, I removed it!"

"You can't leave it there."

"Will you arrest me? Why are these dustbins here? Why not throw the dustbins away if nobody can use them?"

Silence.

I picked up the box anyway, took it outside, and balanced it carefully on the debris of the overflowing dustbin right outside the door.

Real smart, this rule.