Dear Sir,

This is a bit of a strange story. I have a two-year-old son, who, for whatever reason, is obsessed with trash and clean-up — vacuum cleaner, mop etc.

He knows when it is Monday or Thursday, as he rushes to put the trash out. On Monday, he was very perturbed to find the trash was still there when he got home at 5.30pm. We had dinner (he still kept checking outside) went in the paddling pool (still checking) and he kept saying: “Oh, man!”

After a while trying to get him to sleep, we heard the crucial sound “beep, beep, beep, beep, beep”.

He jumped out of bed, scrambled to the front door, only to find his beloved trash truck had already departed. Tears, tears, and more tears.

I promised him he could see it in a minute, they go around into the road that overlooks us. Then they came, he could see them, he waved, and bless you, driver, you got out and waved back and shouted over to him — you made his evening and made us get him to bed.

This was 10.24pm — way too late for this boy to be going to bed — but he wouldn’t settle until he knew the truck had been. I believe the driver’s name is Richard.

Is there a point to this? Yes. Never underestimate how one small gesture at 10.24pm can make a difference, and never underestimate the important job people around you are doing.

VALERIE SMITH