Couple blockades Waste Pro truck after weeks of waste pickup frustrations

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:
Waste pro blockade
Waste pro blockade

A couple parked their car in the middle of the street to block a Waste Pro driver from moving. They say this was because the driver skipped over their yard waste.

Seeing your yard waste sit by without being picked up for weeks is enough to upset anyone. But on Monday, a Cape Coral couple had simply had enough.

John O’Brien and his wife say the job was not being done. “They just don’t pick up garbage,” said O’Brien.

They’ve watched Waste Pro Collect yard waste from their neighbors’ yards but not theirs. So O’Brien decided to form a blockade of sorts.

In a picture sent to WINK News, you can see the O’Briens white SUV parked in the middle of the street so the Waste Pro truck cannot leave.

“They proceed down the block to pick up the rest of the garbage on both sides. Now they’re gonna speed down the road and exit without doing anything. So I stop them. I pull my car out and stop them ‘why arent you going to pick this up,’ he won’t speak to me,” O’Brien said.

Cape Coral Police say they had no issue talking to O’Brien. Officers gave him a $113 ticket for improper parking on a two-lane road.

But, O’Brien accomplished his goal, and Waste Pro did pick up his debris. “This is what I had to do, and if I didn’t do this and get the police here, that garbage would have still been sitting right there,” O’Brien said.

He says he blames the City of Cape Coral for allowing Waste Pro to get away with doing a poor job. O’Brien also thinks his road to change will be a long one. “I imagine next week we’re going to go through the same problem my garbage won’t be picked up,” said O’Brien.

WINK News reached out to the Mayor of Cape Coral. We have not heard back. We also reached out to Waste Pro, but they responded by again talking about having a driver shortage.

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