Eric Thomas: ‘You’re Never Just a Driver’

Now four years in, Thomas says he loves his work. “I'm a people person, especially kids. I'm a grandparent. I love seeing the curiosity and smiles on their faces. Sometimes I'll stop the truck, turn it off, and get out. I’ll ask a kid, ‘Would you like to get up in my truck? They love doing that.” One child in his community collects toy trash trucks. “He wants me to stop and see whenever he gets a new one.”

He also has a soft spot for the elderly. “One lady told me, ‘I haven't talked to my kids in six years, and then the trash man stops and has a conversation with me.’ I gave her one of the little squishy toy trash trucks I always carry with me and said, ‘If you ever need anything, you wave me down.’”

One time, Thomas noticed a young man in his mid-30s always hanging outside his garage smoking cigarettes. “I stopped and said hello and took him a squishy truck. I said, ‘I just wanted to stop and see how you're doing and hope you're having a good day.’ He said, ‘I don't think I'm worth being around anymore. I had to move back in with my folks. I can't get a job. I lost my car. I just think if I wasn't around, it would be a lot better for everybody.’ I said, ‘No, no, don't talk like that. There are resources to help you deal with that. Talk to your family. Go to your doctor. But don't ever think like that. I like seeing you each week.”

A few weeks went by and the young man met Thomas at the trash can. “He had this bubbly energy about him, and he said, ‘I just want to say thanks. I talked to my folks and went to the doctor and found out I needed some medication. But that day I was just sitting there feeling sorry for myself and of all people, the trash man stopped me and told me I was important.’ It’s incredible. It still gives me chills when I think about it.”

Thomas admits that some fellow drivers think he goes a little too far. “They tell me that I’m wasting time, but I talked to my director of solid waste, and he said, ‘You just keep doing what you're doing.’ I've had customers when I first started out who were just grumps, and now, they're my favorite customers. They meet me at the can each week.”

Thomas has a goal to meet at least one new person a day on every route. “I always stop and say hello to somebody,” he says. “Often, they call my bosses, and my bosses are like, ‘I don't know what you're doing, but you're making us look good.’ I just tell them I love my job. I love helping people.”

“All of us here in the City of Olathe Solid Waste Division love Eric’s genuine passion for what he does and enjoy working with someone who takes such pride in their interactions with the public,” says Clayton Duffin, solid waste superintendent. “I can’t think of a better representative for our organization and for the solid waste industry as a whole.”

Thomas is constantly thinking of ways to connect with more people in the community. “I want to develop some short YouTube videos that educate customers on how they can help reduce litter blowing out of our trucks or how to correctly dispose of lithium-ion batteries, which can cause a fire in our truck. I’ve thought about drawing up a coloring book for kids that shows our different trucks. But inside that book, it would also have safety information like, “We're your friends, but if you want to see the truck, please stand back. Just let us know and then wait for us. Don't play around or get inside the trash can.’ I have so many ideas like that.”

Thomas is a big supporter of safety training. “You have to constantly look around and get the big picture, make sure people see you, and keep your eyes moving,” he says. “I'm constantly checking my mirrors to see if somebody's going to come from behind and try to whip around me. When I drive into a cul-de-sac where there are kids, I count them mentally so that when I come back out, I make sure I count the same amount of kids and know exactly where they are. We had a driver once who noticed something was wrong and stopped and gave someone CPR. I watch out for vehicles moving strangely because sometimes it’s a porch pirate. You must constantly be aware and pay attention.”

Thomas recalls a 12-year-old boy who decided to squat on a skateboard and hold on to the back of his truck. “My rear camera always comes on before I back up,” he says. “I could see the side of his face as he was grinning and holding on to the bumper. I immediately threw the brake on, got out, and the kid thought he was in trouble. I said, ‘You're not in trouble, but we’ve got to discuss this. I could have backed this truck up and driven right over you.’ So now, I carry those little squishy trash trucks with me, and especially when school lets out, I will stop and give them a squishy and say, ‘Hey, I love waving at you and honking the horn but promise me you won’t play around the cans or the truck while I’m working. I may not see you, and it would destroy me if I was to hurt one of you.’”

Thomas drives an automatic side loader from the curb side of the truck and usually works alone, so he has only himself to depend on when it comes to keeping his customers safe. “My mind is constantly looking for opportunities to help somebody or stop and talk to somebody, just to let them know you're not just somebody that's making me pick up your trash. You are a person who’s really wonderful.”

His advice to new drivers? “Start out slow. There's no rush. Learn your position, learn your route. But most of all, keep your eyes open around the neighborhood. Just take it easy, learn it, and then over time, you can build up your speed while still being safe. Take pride in your job. Take pride in your city.”