Liberal Freebies!

The ultra-liberal local weekly free paper here has a list of 50 things in town that don't cost you anything. My favorite is #10: dumpster diving! "10: Dumpster dive. For the treasure hunter—and the none-too-queasy—there are illicit outlets of free stuff all over town. It’s called Dumpster diving (not that we condone, or, for that matter, condemn such a thing). Local charity thrift stores regularly toss items that are not suitable for their shelves, and let’s not forget about grocers and restaurants who jettison potentially edible food every day. 'I know a lot of people who do it,' says Mayla, who dives herself, and whose real name is not Mayla. 'Everything they eat is Dumpstered.' Since DD-ers need to protect the juiciest locations, the best sites are often kept within the circle. If you find a choice spot, make sure to keep an eye out—rummaging through Dumpsters runs afoul of some merchants and the long arm of the law." I was surprised that panhandling wasn't on the list, but not surprised that these next two items were: "38: Wrap that rascal! A used condom is a sad, cast-off thing, pale as a ghost and slippery as a banana peel. But fresh from the wrapper, it is wonderful—a tiny life-ring that promises (at least a few minutes of) anxiety-free pleasure. In most cases a condom will prevent pregnancy, and, when properly used, keeps out all but the most cunning STDs. A godsend! A liberating object! A public-health coup! To get some for free, visit these places, but please try to do it tactfully". And "44: Needle yourself. The AIDS activist was out dropping off condoms in barbershops when Xpress first called. But Michael Harney, whose name is synonymous with the Needle Exchange Program of Asheville, also provides free 'injection equipment' in his mission to prevent AIDS and hepatitis. The program mostly serves heroin and cocaine users, he says, but he 'would like to be open eventually to diabetes [patients]' in the elderly, low-income population. For sterile 27- to 30-gauge needles, cookers, cotton swabs, bandages or those life-preserving condoms, call Harney..."