Wayyyyy OT: "donation bins"

Hi,

I'm sure we've all (USA) seen those giant (metal?) bins that resemble oversized USPS mail boxes in various parking lots around town (*whatever* town). Typically used to collect donations like clothing for various "causes".

Several weeks back, I happened to be waiting for someone while parked with one of these in my field of vision. A woman approached it, presumably to drop off some items. She opened the door (hatch?) and, in one fluid motion, was *inside* the container!!

I've tried to remember exactly what she did as it was *so* effortless -- but, I was so caught off guard that the details were displaced by the overwhelming surprise I experienced! (not that she had gone inside but, rather, how effortlessly she had done so.)

Yesterday, I happened to park near one of these (different "vendor") and took the opportunity to examine the design to try to re-imagine what I had seen.

The "door" is located pretty high -- about chest or neck height. There are no handles or grab points on the *box* that you could grasp to lift yourself up to this height. And, nothing nearby that you could stand *on*.

The door, itself, isn't just a "flap" (a hinged *plane*) but, rather, a "half rectangular prism" ('L') pivoting on the axis formed by those two normal planes. I.e., pulling the door open causes another piece of metal to rise up to block your view into the container. No doubt, this is to keep folks from removing items once they have been placed inside. AND, probably hinder *climbing* inside!

[The woman I observed shot through this feet first, "stiff" as a board -- not curled up into a little ball -- like a submariner through a hatch]

Still at a loss as to how she did this so effortlessly (given her size, etc.), it was obvious that a small person would be able to ball themselves up to mimic the size of a typical donated item and, thus, fit in unhindered.

Given that donations would tend to be physically large, I can't imagine that there would any practical way to prevent folks from crawling inside (?). And, once inside, from removing items (which is what the woman of my story did)? Short of an "active" solution, I can't see how you could do much better than their current approach (?)

Reply to
Don Y
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Totally unrelated..(except it has live things in drop boxes.) But when I was in Tennessee they had unwanted pet drop off boxes. I was always a bit curious as to what happens if one person drops off a bird, the next a cat, and then a few dogs...

George H.

Reply to
George Herold

Thanks for the heads-up in the topic. The entire thread has been deleted.

Reply to
John S

Glad to have saved you the effort (of course, you won't see this reply...)

Reply to
Don Y

Overheard from one of the folks who rounds up these pets: "Gee, all we ever get is (well fed) dogs..."

Reply to
Don Y

There's more than 1 type of chute arrangement, the one you describe is low on security

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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