Patrick drives through town to pick up dirt: ‘Couch with cat piss? You shouldn’t dwell on that too long’ | Work

Together with colleagues from the Municipality of Rotterdam, driver Patrick van der Will (50) ensures that all underground containers in the city are emptied, remain clean and that all bulky waste is collected. Not everyone would want to do their job, he knows. “People sometimes say that to me. But when I take them with me, they have to admit that it is actually quite fun work.”

As a little boy he already knew that he wanted to work in the city cleaning service. ,,When the garbage truck came by, I always wanted to take a look. On Saturdays when I was with my grandmother, the market was cleaned up there in the evening. I thought it was great to help out a little bit. Then I already knew: I want to do this later.”

But after secondary school, Van der Will will study metal engineering, because there are more opportunities there. Through an employment agency, he can eventually get started with city cleaning. Later he manages to get a permanent job there and he gets his driver’s license. ,,I’ve been doing the job for 32 years now and I still like it. The work has changed, in the past it was mainly lugging garbage bags, now almost everything is thrown into underground containers.”

Which is also part of the job: cleaning up all the junk that did not end up in the container. Sometimes there is also household waste that has been in the sun for too long. The bulky waste is also not always clean. “A couch with cat piss is really gross, your gloves will smell like it. Just don’t dwell on it for too long. Sometimes it happens that something gets on your overalls, then you just put a new one on the case. We always shower after work.”

Sometimes employees are injured, for example by a plank that still contains nails or by glass in the dirt. “A few years ago, for example, I cut my leg open on a broken fluorescent tube.” In addition, it is physically quite heavy to move large furniture, for example, he says. “At some point you do get some pain. But getting in and out a lot also makes it difficult, in narrow streets you can’t always get out easily.”

Fortunately, Van der Will is fit enough to continue doing his job for the coming years. ,,If you work in a normal way, not just rausen, you can keep it up until you retire. If not, there are plenty of other jobs within the municipality.”

Due to all his experience, Van der Will has been tried and tested. But for a novice driver, the work can be quite exciting. ,,You have a huge responsibility with such a big car. They often sit behind the wheel with sweat on their foreheads. You sometimes drive past parked cars with only a few centimeters of space on both sides. It is almost impossible to avoid hitting something. A mirror came off in no time.” When that happens, Van der Will and colleagues look for the owner of the car or leave a note.

Van der Will is never bored on a working day, partly because of the interaction with local residents. For example, there are sometimes people who try to abuse the collection service. “We no longer collect construction waste and rubble, contractors started to abuse that. Some people still try and get mad when we say something about it. I always try to avoid a discussion. That makes no sense.”

He has the same attitude when people get mad when his car blocks the road. ,,If there is a very large heap of bulky waste, we first do a part and then often drive around again to collect the rest, so that people can pass. Fortunately, most residents are happy when everything is clean and tidy again. But some start to honk before you even pull the handbrake. Now I don’t hear it anymore.”

Van der Will is not easily upset. He especially enjoys his work, especially when the weather is nice outside. “I shouldn’t be thinking about sitting in the office right now.”

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