What Gadget Is Worth a Dumpster Dive?

Last month I went “camping” with my parents on Assateague Island. The second night I was there, we of course had a multi-course meal, consisting of crabs, shrimp, corn and — of course — crabs again, finished with BLTs (normal to end a meal with BLTs, yes?)

But between crabs round one and crabs round two, something horrific happened. We somehow lost our beloved crab crackers (red, seen above). I don’t like them that much, but they are my dad’s favorite.

Our worst fear: that they were already in the dumpster, rolled up with the newspaper and crab shells.

There was about 5 minutes of panic. What would we do? How were we going to eat the rest of our crabs tonight and for life? How could we possibly go on, having thrown away an important gadget? I suggested we find another tool. Like a beer can or one of the 1000 tools in my dad’s truck. But my dad couldn’t be reasoned with. He was in serious distress, and said he was going in the dumpster.

Luckily he was about 15 Miller High Lifes in at this point, so he was moving rather slowly. But he didn’t stop repeating “I’m going in” as he tried to get up from the table. In a few minutes we found them, hidden under the second layer of newspaper.

This brought up some startling realizations about our priorities. If you accidentally threw away a kitchen item in a moment of crisis, would you dumpster dive to save it? Would would you go in for? What would you let go?