The Northeast Transfer Station on Fair Oaks Avenue carries a trap that catches people out more than any other detail on this page: on weekdays it is open for two hours only, 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. Turn up at ten on a Tuesday and you will find it shut. Saturday is the generous day, 7 a.m. through 4 p.m., and Sunday it does not open.

Unlike Bachman, this site admits nobody from the trade. It is strictly for Dallas householders disposing of their own material, and commercial customers are refused outright.

There is no fee, provided your vehicle fits the rule: a passenger car, station wagon, pickup, or trailer measuring under fifteen feet. Entry requires a valid driving licence, plus separate evidence of Dallas residency - the licence itself will do if it carries a Dallas address, otherwise a current city water utility bill issued to the person driving in.

What it will take: household waste, recyclables, scrap metal, grass clippings, resident electronics, and up to six tyres a year per household, none wider than 25 inches.

What it will not: refrigerators, freezers and AC units of any kind; rocks, bricks, concrete and dirt; and anything chemical, including paint. Plan those separately rather than discovering it at the scale, especially given how short the weekday window is.