Claire Wolters reports for the Temple News
Michael Williams Sr., one of the two main drivers for Temple’s Service Operations Department,
CLAIRE WOLTERS / THE TEMPLE NEWS
Michael Williams Sr. and Lance King make up the two-man team that hauls, drives and disposes of the trash at Temple University. Their day begins at 6 a.m. when they rev up the trash truck and ends around 3 p.m., or whenever the last of the mess has been dealt with.
The two are drivers for Temple’s Service Operations Department, a team of about 13 workers who manage everything from garbage disposal to transportation of students and athletic teams. Williams and King do a little of each task, but primarily collect trash.
Each week, the men collect approximately 15 tons of trash from dumpsters stationed behind university buildings on Main Campus, Temple University Hospital and Ambler Campus, said William Majzik, the assistant facilities manager. Dumpsters hook on the back of the truck while tipsters are manually tipped in.
The crew is not legally responsible for cleaning up student residences and homes in the area around Main Campus, which falls outside of their jurisdiction. But due to the large accumulation of waste from college parties or move-out days, the crew is sometimes called upon by Temple Police to also sweep up “Temple-affiliated neighborhood trash,” Majzik said.
One of the biggest obstacles the crew faces is rodents, said Majzik, who has worked at Temple for 20 years. Back in the early 2000s, this meant mice. Now, “rodents” encapsulate a larger range of creatures, including hungry rats that crawl in and curl up in the back of the truck, he said.
“You really can’t exterminate a trash truck,” Majzik added. “They can come from anywhere.”
When dealing with rats, William Parker, who worked as a driver this fall, said, “We run.”
“Fast,” added Christopher Rhone, his former partner.
Parker recently advanced to a general mechanic position at Temple after working in the Service Operations Department for 17 years, and Rhone is taking a medical leave, Majzik said.
Williams and King quickly transitioned to fill Parker’s and Rhone’s shoes. King has worked at Temple for 13 years and has been driving the trash truck for five weeks, while Williams has worked at Temple for 20 years, spending his time in Grounds Maintenance.
“Work is work,” Williams said. “It’s a little dirtier, that’s about it.”
Both men grew up in Philadelphia — Williams in North Philadelphia and King in West Philadelphia — and said the streets used to be much cleaner.
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