An apparent disgruntled DPW employee decided to let out her frustration at a Lakewood resident who came to drop off trash seven minutes before closing time.
TLS was provided with audio and video recording of the incident, which occurred Friday afternoon. We will not be posting the audio due to the vulgar language in it used by the employee.
At 2:53 PM, a resident pulled up to the resident trash drop-off area of DPW, when a woman, identified as Regina Lassitar, (pictured bottom, and an employee for approximately six years) sat there blocking the entrance, motioning for the car not enter. When the resident explained that he still had seven minutes left before closing to drop off the garbage, she still insisted she would not allow him in.
After the resident insisted that he had a right to drop off trash until 3 PM, she reluctantly allowed him to pass through, but not before mocking him and cursing at him.
“What did you call me?” the shocked resident can be heard in the audio asking Lassitar. “I didn’t call you anything,” she responded. The resident responded, “the bad luck is I have you recorded.”
The resident then continued on to the drop-off site, where the supervisor Steve Hill also told the resident “you’re not dumping your trash here today. Come back Sunday.”
After a supervisor intervened, the resident was finally allowed to drop off his trash, which took approximately three-four minutes. The resident also thanked an employee, who went by the name ‘Jimmy’, for helping him dump the trash.
A DPW supervisor was contacted about the incident, and notified about the recording.
“Appropriate action will be taken,” a supervisor told TLS. “These things should not be happening.”
[TLS]
KPICASA_GALLERY(DPWEmployeeReginaLassitar#)
Can you post the video (without the audio) please?
Customer service at it’s best!
Fortunately not all township workers hold that level.
I’ve hade the same thing with them. I came 15 minutes before closing and he told me know and I had to argue with him, and the whole dumping thing took me 5 minutes. We argued more time then it actually took to dump it. It’s just that they are lazy and don’t want to work. And besides that all, the while thing with writing ur name ano license number I think is a joke. Bc I’ve been there many times and about 10 times they didn’t make me write nothing. I came in and dumped my garbage. The place is more then a bunch or grumpy people and a joke
Not to worry….just talking trash 😉
Standard policy in this town.
There is no reason we should have to put up with this . We pay for their salaries to work until closing time and have no right to close even 1 minute earlier.
This happens every time u came within 15 min of closing. I’ve had to fight with them even if I have 2-3 things to dump, which takes 30 seconds.
I’ve experienced this twice in the past. 1 of the times it was another woman working there. They are so lazy over there, and some times it feels like they are doing u the biggest favor, where in reality we are paying their salaries.
Fire her asap and teach an example to the rest of our employees.
Chilly Willy; please brush up on your English.
When I dumped bulk cardboard also had some nasty employees to deal with and was not closing time
This place should be open untill 5 everyday like normal businesses and should not close for lunch there are hundreds of employees and most normal businesses dont close down when one employee takes a lunch break
This is your tax dollars at work
Dear Township managers mayor committeeman or anyone else from the management that is reading this can you please tell us, what exactly are you going to be doing to stop this all around the town
Every time I go There they are rude and nasty and make things complicated for no reason. even the license number writing and info is a bit excesive. – sure you should have to show ID that you live in the township but all the writing and signing, gives more excuse that they don’t have time to “process” you, and this is all to “dump a piece of garbage”, (which by the way you do yourself).
I would have taken not of the time gone to the back of my car and dumped the garbage right there at the gate. tah get in and drive away. let them clean it up.
the only problem with that is we are to nice. we would never do such a thing.
I’ve had the same experience at the passport office in the municipal building! They told me sorry we’re closing in 20 minutes we can’t take you today!
That was after meeting in the elavator 2 government employees coming back from an ice cream break! (45mnt before closing time???)
Let’s all work for the government!! “Great working conditions!”
Lets have a protest tomorrow.
lets get as many people to go to the dump 15 min. before closing and line up to dump garbage.
I don’t know if anyone has ever called the DPW and were hung up on mid sentence. I am a nice person I was literally shaking after the call.I called with an innocent question and didn’t even have time to explain myself. It was a woman who picked up. She had no patience, a temper and was outright nasty. When I called back to explain myself I asked who I spoke to and they said they don’t want to share it with me. The supervisor called me back and was a pleasure was so nice and took care of my issue. There is no reason for anyone working anywhere to treat anyone like that. I was so upset about it and shared what happened with several people and they told me DPW known to be like that. Please can the calls be recorded and let’s fix up the problem there are lots of kind, nice and capable people looking for jobs. Btw just have to say all the guys who came to collect my trash or drop off cans were all so nice. Thank you!
Please don’t forget to mention the good public works employees who actually do their job with a smile. What you see at “the hill” area where you dump your trash is a very small percentage of Dpw employees who give us all a bad rap. Remember us on snow days and Passover cleanup and holidays when we so overtime to help out the town. Gd bless us all and a happy Yon kipper and sookiss to all
Ldpw, couldn’t agree more. I’ve met many dedicated and nice dpw people, thank you for your hard work and caring disposition!
On a snowy day, trash pick up was moved up a day due to a federal holiday. I thought the plows would come first and then the trucks, so I waited before I put out the trash. I saw trash man enter the development and I had the dumpster by the curb before he got to my house. He said he will not pick it up because it was not there before 7:30 am, blizzard or no. He was true to his word and drove away.
I once called the DPW about an issue I was having with the trash collection. I spoke in a very nice tone of voice. The lady who answered was so rude. She interrupted me every other minute with nasty comments. Then, when she didn’t want to deal with me anymore, without saying anything, she transferred me to the supervisor. I left a message and the issue was taken care of. I was just very annoyed that the lady who answered the phone treated me like a piece of garbage!
There is an older gentleman that works there that is very very kind and nice!! Just because there is an incident, you can’t forget all the good people!
I should have recored my episode, brought an individual with a couch to drop off, he showed a Lakewood property lease as requested, and was allowed to drop it off, as we were leaving an employee came and asked if the individual was a citizen or illegal, the individual did not ansear, we were told till wait till he spoke to higher ups. I said you can not detain us, bye, as we heard his yelling & cursing.
Just FYI, at the library, which closes 5:00, at 4:52 they already don’t let u in a book aisle. It’s a little nutty. The guy wouldn’t even pass me a book. It seems all towsp or county employees trim a few min off their workday. The nerve. And BTW, Lenny at DPW is a great guy. As is Dorit.
I am very impressed with the crew that comes to my school twice a week. The trash guy Nigel and the recycling crew shalom & Mordy are role models how all Dpw employees should act. They’re always so helpful and friendly always have a good word to say and when our dumpsters are overflowing they just jump out Nd clean up the mess as if it’s no big deal. So good job to u three and may there be more like u.
I was recently at the DPW to drop off some bags of garbage. The employee working there came along to the dumping area and actually took all the bags out of my car. Truly valet service.
Funny I’m reading this story this morning. My husband just went there yesterday and was telling me how “The old guy was nasty”..lol. I think they need to say goodbye to Regina & Steve. The employees should be working until 3:00..and not make their own hours. They get paid a lot of money.
why do people have to come the second stores close
The dmv is the same story. They dont let u in if its a half hour before closing
To lakewood school. Its nice that they are helpful ,but just because they are nice does not mean they are ok with cleaning up after u from an over flowing Dumpster.
People, you have all day to dump garbage , why wait to the last minutes.
The public works dept needs a lesson in customer service and manners. When I call for bulk pick up the woman who answers is very nasty. They need to remember it is the tax payers who pay their salary.
I called to request bulk pickup. The woman who answered the phone was so rude and nasty, it took my breath away.
I was made to feel like a sub-human pest! I was interrupted, and when i asked to clarify a point, she made an exasperated sigh and HUNG UP ON ME! I was so aggravated, it bothered me all day.
If a person hates their customers, and you cant get her to change her attitude, and she cant be dismissed to find more suitable employment (where she won’t have contact with bothersome folks like us), at least put her in some department where she wont be burdened with speaking to fellow citizens?!
I have been dropping off garbage for many years and I have NEVER had a bad experience. In fact, Lenny, who has been working at the dumping site for many many years, even back on East 9th street, is a real gentleman and hard worker. He is always pleasant and polite and whenever possible follows me to the the proper bins and helps me with all my heavy items. And his work ethic is a legend! He is of the old school, a role model. I remember him on East 9th through rain, heat, and snow, predictably right there and working very hard. I was so glad for him when they moved and he was finally protected by the elements by the heated and air conditioned booth. Lenny, you are the best!
To those asking why people come near the closing time: some of us work full time and can’t get there. We go during down time / lunch time / break time. With such an early closing time of 3pm, you’d think that they could manage to wait until the end.
This incident is a microcosm of the DPW attitude as a whole.
I would venture to guess that the entire “Work Day” of a garbage man ends before 1:00
If anyone dares to ask for real service, they get “attitude” back from them.
As someone who pays exorbitant property taxes, the Least we can expect is for the garbage men to do their job without making you feel like they are doing you a favor.
They may get done around that time, some later, some earlier, but they also start around 5am when most people are still asleep.
fire her asap!