Sweet 3-year-old idolizes city garbage men: 'He really makes my day'

"It was an intense interest from the very beginning," mom Liz Smith said.

ByNicole Pelletiere via logo
April 24, 2018, 9:14 AM

For 3-year-old Crew Smith, trash collection day is the most exciting morning at his house.

Without fail, Crew waits each Thursday in his driveway to greet the local sanitation workers. Crew's fascination with trash day began when he was able to walk, his mother Liz Smith told ABC News.

PHOTO: Crew Smith's mom, Liz Smith, said that her son wants to have his own garbage route when he grows up.
Crew Smith's mom, Liz Smith, said that her son wants to have his own garbage route when he grows up.
ClickSmith Photography

"He just got so flipping excited whenever the garbage truck would come," Smith of Clive, Iowa, said. "It was an intense interest from the very beginning. Now he understands that there's a person behind the truck and that person's become his hero."

Once a week at 10 a.m., Crew waves to the different garbage men that empty his family's trash can. Many of the workers have become familiar with him, sharing high-fives and even leaving treats for Crew at his doorstep.

PHOTO: Crew Smith, 3, seen with his mother, Liz Smith, on Halloween in 2017.
Crew Smith, 3, seen with his mother, Liz Smith, on Halloween in 2017.
ClickSmith Photography

“One of the most rewarding parts of this job is interacting with our customers and residents on the route, but Crew takes it to a whole new level," Waste Management driver Eric Jefferies said in a statement to ABC News. "When I see him he is all smiles and waving cheerfully. I was happy to make his day but the truth is, he really makes my day."

PHOTO: Crew Smith, 3, of Iowa, waits every Thursday to greet his local sanitation workers.
Crew Smith, 3, of Iowa, waits every Thursday to greet his local sanitation workers.
ClickSmith Photography
PHOTO: Crew Smith, 3, who loves garbage trucks, has his own vest and trash can that his father personalized for him.
Crew Smith, 3, who loves garbage trucks, has his own vest and trash can that his father personalized for him.
ClickSmith Photography

Crew's love for the garbage men has evolved. Crew dresses in his own sanitation worker's costume. He also had a garbage-themed birthday party and now has a garbage truck-themed bedroom decorated in paintings of trucks and Waste Management's company color of green.

And it's no surprise that Crew has a dream to be a garbage truck driver when he grows up, Smith said.

PHOTO: Crew Smith, 3, has been fascinated with garbage trucks and sanitation workers since he was able to walk.
Crew Smith, 3, has been fascinated with garbage trucks and sanitation workers since he was able to walk.
ClickSmith Photography

"I'm really moved that he's so passionate and interested in this," Smith added of her son. "To a degree he can see so much more than adults can --that [sanitation workers] are so committed to their jobs and their community. I can understand why kids see this role as the everyday hero."