Yesterday we posted what we considered an insensitive email that had turned up on the Adams Morgan Listserv. In the wake of the murder at DPW's fleet management branch, a resident named Sharon hopped on the board to complain about how her garbage wouldn't be picked up for a few extra days due to DPW's one-day work stoppage: "[I]t is NOT ok to leave city residents with trash piling up and overflowing our cans for a whole week... rats will have a great time tearing open the bags that are now on top of the cans."

We sat back and, admittedly, waited with glee for the pile-on that awaited Sharon. But it didn't happen. In fact, others chimed in with their own thoughts on how unacceptable it is for garbage pickup to be delayed a few days because of some silly workplace shooting or homicide investigation. 

Like this person: "trash non-collection is a public health issue - if cans are overflowing, the rats are thrilled.... I would have hoped that DPW would have delayed a day, not a week."

And this person: "I can't imagine my workplace shutting down under similar circumstances. Workers have a responsibility toward their clients be they in the private realm or the public one. If DC is to ever become the world class city it aspires to be, this is the kind of work culture that won't cut it."

Thankfully, there were some more reasonable voices in the bunch -- including former Ward One council candidate Bryan Weaver and DPW staff assistant Kevin Twine, who surely had to muster all the self-control he could to send out this restrained explainer:

The facility wasn’t closed so that DPW employees could “mourn.” If someone walked into your work place at 6:30 am and opened fire, killing one person and injuring another, I assure you that your workplace would “shut down” during the police investigation of a crime scene. We couldn’t move any of the equipment in the yard because of that investigation. We are operational today, and are making every effort to make up for yesterday’s missed collections… as well as sticking to the alternate schedule resulting from the holiday this past Monday. Our crews are working well into the evening in an effort to catch up. There may, however, be some that are missed.

If you have experienced a disruption in service, I offer my apologies.