dumpster diving 2006

It seems there are people out there who actually eat food found in garbage cans out of choice. Some of the dumpster divers interviewed by the Post call themselves "freegans" -- free vegans -- and say they are doing it to avoid contributing to the exploitation of animals. Others do it for the thrill of seeing what you can find, kind of a pot-luck attitude.

One guy bragged about finding rack of lamb, bottles of wine, and trays of sushi. I gotta tell ya, sushi that has been thrown away is about the last thing I would eat. But I can't see dumpster diving under any but the most extreme (i.e., I'm homeless, broke, and starving) circumstances. It's dangerous.

I also wonder whether this article will get picked up by Slate media critic Jack Shafer as yet another example of an article that discusses a growing trend with absolutely nothing in the way of statistics, based on a few interviews. At least it isn't a drug scare story, like the one the Post ran a few months ago on kids using morning glory seeds to get high (which Shafer properly panned).