A woman in Alabama has been routinely paying a fee for a valet trash service she deems unnecessary and a “money grab.” Now, she has been written up because, according to her, the valet trash guy put one of her garbage bags back on her can for no apparent reason.
Ellen, also known online as yourfriendellen, shared her story on TikTok. She is a content creator who talks about books, movies, TV, and politics. The valet trash clip quickly went viral, garnering 374,900 views, 36,100 likes, and more than 1,700 comments. It became one of her biggest videos to date.
The Alabama woman explained that ever since she moved into her apartment, she has been paying a $35 monthly fee for valet trash. This service involves someone taking each apartment’s trash once a day to cover the gap of non-existent trash chutes.
“I do use it because I’m paying for it,” Ellen said.
Notice Received
For some reason, however, Ellen found something stuck to her door. She had been written up, apparently, for leaving her trash in the can after hours. Ellen then explained that a friend had come over and they had Chick-fil-A for dinner. She then put the trash inside a plastic Target bag and then placed it on top of her other trash in the trash can outside her apartment.
“Trash guy goes into my trash can, picks up the Target bag, takes the regular bag of trash, throws that away, puts the Target bag back in, fills this bad boy out [the notice], slaps it on my door,” Ellen said.
The Alabama woman proceeded to call valet trash the “most stupid, useless money grabs” that she pays while staying at her building. She also added that she has been placing her trash bags that way for a long time. Finally, she wondered what had changed for her to receive a notice.
Reactions
The video sparked multiple reactions, mostly from viewers who found the trash incident ridiculous. One said, “The concept of valet trash to me sounds like a recipe for pest infestations.” Another one commented, “I hated valet trash. Can’t weigh more than 20lb. I don’t want valet trash.”
Other viewers were perplexed by the service, as, according to the Alabama woman, it was a “forced amenity.” One asked, “They don’t allow you to opt out of the service? That’s not allowed?” Ellen responded, “It’s a part of what they call a ‘concierge package,’ which is not an option. It includes trash, pest control, and wifi.“
Ellen has not shared an update regarding her write-up. It is unclear what sort of repercussions she will face or if the notice will be dismissed should she have proof of her accusations.
