Moline toddler befriends neighborhood garbage collector

MOLINE — A Moline toddler befriended someone unexpected in his neighborhood. He’s the garbage collector.

Rilee Patterson looks forward to seeing his garbage man every Thursday.

It’s been a year and they’ve never met face to face, but that changed today.

“I’m just a garbage man. I just pick up your trash and I’m gone. You’ll see me next week,” said sanitation driver Tom Wynes.

Tom Wynes drives through this block every Thursday in his garbage truck.

“Get there, put the arm out, grab the can, up it goes,” said Wynes. “Garbage men, any garbage men you know, they’re just big kids. We all are. We get to drive big trucks.”

And every Thursday Rilee Patterson waits for him.

“it’s like clockwork every week. He’s never let me down, he’s always there,” said Wynes.

The heartwarming window friendship has existed for nearly a year.

“It started last spring. We were outside all the time when it was nice out. So he would see him first thing in the morning and stand there and just there,” said Rilee’s mom Emily Darnall.

Each Thursday morning Rilee listens for the familiar sound of the garbage truck and waits for it at his living room’s window.

“Every time he hears the beep now from backing up from down our street, he’ll run up and wave,” said Darnall.

He waves to tom who makes the moment special by pulling his horn and waiting to dump the garbage from bucket to truck. 

But this time, it was different.  Tom stepped out of his truck for the first time and Rilee was in for a big surprise.

Rilee was all smiles just a little shocked and camera shy. 

Just like Tom gets to play with his big toy truck every day. He wanted to give his new little friend the same experience.  

“He can play with it 6 days out of the week. He only sees me one day,” said Wynes.