Police: Man Gets to Transfer Station Moments Late. To-Do Ensues, Followed by Charges

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Here are some helpful hints for what not to do when going to the Darien Town Dump, with examples from the following allegations from a recent Darien police report (including accusations not proven in court):

1. Don’t get there late.

They don’t tend to stretch the closing-time rules for you. They’re extremely prompt in closing the place at 2:45 p.m. And then you’ve got a car full of trash you can’t drop off.

That’s what police say happened when a 76-year-old man arrived at the Darien Transfer Station, now officially called the Recycling Center just after the 2:45 p.m. closing time.

The gate was closing, and he wasn’t allowed to drive in. But it was only the start of his troubles.

2. Don’t try to drive past the gate behind another car without checking in with the attendant.

What’s worse than not being allowed in: The closing gate struck the roof of the man’s car, a silver-colored sedan, as he tried to drive in behind the car in front of him. That’s gonna leave a mark (it did).

3. If you don’t have a valid sticker, don’t try to get in.

As everyone with one knows, you need to register beforehand in order to get a permit sticker. The attendant at the gate noticed the man didn’t have one on his car.

4. When the closing gate hits your vehicle, keep your rage to a minimum.

The man didn’t. He get out of his car and yell at the attendant, which appears not to have satisfied the man. What happened after that likely satisfied him a lot less.

5. And don’t grab the attendant’s clothing.

Which the man did. While continuing to yell at the attendant, he reached into the attendant’s booth and grabbed the sitting man by the shirt. (The attendant did not report any injuries.)

The attendant, a town employee, responded by pushing the man back and closing the booth window. The man then drove his car away, with the mark on his roof and his trash still inside.

The attendant did, however, get the license plate number of the vehicle and called police.

That resulted in police finding and talking with the man, who told them he thought no sticker was needed to use the transfer station. He said he believed the attendant intentionally closed the gate on his car as he tried to enter.

He admitted that he got out of his car and confronted the attendant, pulling on his shirt. Police noted “superficial” marks on the man’s car.

[Editor’s note: “superficial” in regard to marks on a vehicle means “somebody else’s car.” Marks on your close friend’s, loved one’s 0r family member’s car are “tragic.” Those that you cause on somebody else’s car are “pre-existing.” Marks on your own vehicle — well, this is a family publication.]

Police issued the man a misdemeanor summons charging him with breach of peace and directed to appear Oct. 5 in state Superior Court in Stamford. He was also forbidden from returning to the Darien Transfer Station.

6. Be a town resident or town property owner.

The man wasn’t one. When police checked the license plate number, they found it was registered to a man on Valley Road in Stamford. Only town residents, those who own property in town and businesses located in town are allowed to use the facility —a typical policy in area municipal transfer stations.

So the man’s trip was never going to result in a satisfactory conclusion for him.

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