Dryer, Dumped: Baffling, Mysterious, Resolved

On Thursday, I was sitting at my desk, working, with the window open. I didn't get up the minute I heard a vehicle outside, but after a minute, I heard an odd sound that I couldn't quite figure out, so I went and looked. (Just call me Gladys Kravitz.) There was a red SUV in front of the building, engine running, and a woman had the back end open and was pulling something large out. I went through three stages as I watched:

1. What on earth is that?
2. It's a clothes dryer?! Isn't she afraid of damaging it by dropping it? I expect they aren't really all that heavy, but it looks so awkward for one person to move.
3. (As she got it to the ground, and started shimmying it closer to the sidewalk.) Hey, she's leaving it there, isn't she? I mean, she isn't from my building, and if she was going across the street, she'd have a cart or a dolly, or ... I can't believe she's dumping a dryer outside my door!

By the time I realized the truth, I didn't have time to grab a camera, but I tried to read her plate number (which I couldn't clearly see, due to the angle from the second floor) and hurried to write it down before I forgot. Meanwhile, she got in the car and drove away. Well!

I wasn't sure if the police would/could do anything if I called (the non-emergency number, obviously), but in the end* I did call them, and the officer was very nice. Unfortunately, the plate I thought I got did not come up for him, but he said he would call the DPW and see about having someone come out to get the dryer. I told him that I would appreciate it, and that I just couldn't believe someone would do that, and he said people do it all the time. Which I agreed was true, but that as a rule-follower myself, I just can't understand it, though of course his job would be easier if everyone followed the rules. He laughed and said actually, he probably wouldn't have a job in that case!
*After putting the question to Facebook, and emailing the property manager for her opinion.

(Later, I thought about the couch that was dumped across the street, was that last winter? I assumed at the time that it was someone in that apartment building who dumped it ... but I suppose it could have been anyone.)

I made a note to tell the blog about it, and hadn't gotten to it when, this afternoon, I heard a noise outside and looked out to see a man loading it into a pickup truck. It wasn't a DPW vehicle, though I suppose it still could have been them. Probably not on a Sunday, though; perhaps it was just a rover looking for scrap metal. Which would be great! Usually you have to pay them to take things, so I am not complaining. It's just weird and inexplicable, on top of weird and inexplicable.