Every day, in the shadows, they clean the streets of the capital and sort millions of garbage. Despite the tight schedules, the smells, the weather and the physical efforts, they are proud of their job. Here is their day: 6 hours. A coffee and some jokes.
The laughter already echoes in the workshop of rue de Ridder. Paris is still sleeping but the cleaners who wearing reflective vests start their day with a coffee and some jokes.
Wearing a fluorescent yellow vest with reflective material and a hat. Anthony clings to the garbage collection truck and slips into the roar of the machine. This young man with a slender figure and medium-length hair has been in office for two years. With his colleague, he empties the first crash in the dark. The steel jaws of the machine to swallow nearly ten tons of garbage a day.
The bins weigh on average 80kg each. "At the end of the day, it pulls on your arms," says Anthony. He may have learned the right things, muscles hurt, "especially at the end of the week". But the hard part is the weather. "We take the cold, the rain, the wind, the heat in the summer. "
He also picks up the bags of the public trash cans. No way to scare Anthony, who smiles at a passerby. And the rats? A video is published by Leparisien.Fr showing hundreds of rodents swarming in a trash has toured the social networks, raising fears of proliferation of animals in Paris. "There have always been rats," says an official of the DPE (Directorate of cleanliness and water). "In the 14th, it's not a major problem, at least for garbage workers. "
7:08. Without them, Paris would swim in a sea of garbage
A car is waiting quietly behind the truck. Leaning on his window, the driver smokes his cigarette. The jaded air, he's patient. It's not always the case. "We often get horn," says 54-year-old Thierry, a gray-haired and discreet driver. "Last week, I stood in front of a parking lot and an excited man told me to park in a mouse hole. Then he insulted me. "
It does not happen every day, fortunately. On the other hand, very few passers-by are grateful to the garbage collectors, who nevertheless collect each year about 1.1 million tons of waste in the capital alone. Without them, Paris would swim in a sea of garbage. "Must do with," Judge Thierry. Behind the displayed detachment, a hint of bitterness.
The garbage collector who wears safety clothing fixes a trash can overflow before him. "That's painful. Some take the opportunity to search and put everywhere. We are left with ripped bags. Thierry drives the truck with imperturbable calm. Circulating with this behemoth in the maze of streets is not obvious. Standing since 4 am, he loves his job. And he philosophizes: "At least, in the cabin, we do not have the smells. "
9 hours. "You have to know how to take on yourself"
It's mid-day for the cleaners. Anthony leaves cleaning the sidewalks in the rain. He sprinkles the bitumen with the high-pressure lance, while Hamadi moves the vehicle, a green yoghurt jar so narrow that it sneaks between the posts on the sidewalks to prevent vehicles from passing through.
The truculent driver is up since 3:20 am. Conscientious, he makes sure not to wet passersby. "One day, I dipped the shoes of a man in a suit," recalls Hamadi. He yelled "it costs 250, these pumps! You are now! "And I did it, he amuses himself. I even wished him a good day. "
He concludes the anecdote by a saying that all repeat to the envy: "It is necessary to know how to take on oneself. Anthony does not always understand the reaction of people. "Of course, they pay their taxes. But sometimes, they abuse, and I get carried away. We are here to help them, anyway! "
On the other side of the street, Christian, 40 years old, balding head, small eyes and high goatee. He carefully hunts plastic bags, handkerchiefs and other wrappings that dot the sidewalk. Today, he took his K-Way pants to protect himself from the rain. "Monday, I was soaked. My hands were frozen. But hey, there are hot showers at the workshop. "
11:00. Bulky time
It's time for bulky things. These big objects that sometimes block the sidewalks. Olivier, 54 years old too, the high voice and the powerful laugh, goes on a mission. With his long braided black hair, he looks like a reggae singer.
He looks at his road map. Made according to appointments made with locals wishing to get rid of a piece of furniture. For example, a wardrobe at 5, rues Pierre-Larousse. "People often say that they have three boards when they have 30." Olivier marks a first stop. Wet boxes, garbage bags and a children's chair rot at the foot of a forbidden direction. With this one step, the small vehicle is already half full.
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