Posted by Dr. Science on 11/09/2011 in
Question |
Why are garbage truck brakes always squeaky? In every city I’ve ever lived or visited, this has been the case.
———- from Andy Panda of Washington DC
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a warning device…or a deliberate annoyance. Squeaky brakes on garbage trucks serve a much more important function. They emit a sound that frightens the garbarge into compressing itself so that much more can fit inside a truck. Before the implementation of this exciting innovation, it used to take two and half times as many garbage trucks to srvice a city. This is called downsizing. Now the other one and a half trucks can be sold to less developed countries in the hopes that they can increase their garbage levels to meet their disposal capabilities. And the displaced sanitary engineers, as they call themselves nowadays, can be retrained as file clerks or insurance salesmen.
