Special Friendship Between Toddler and Garbage Truck Driver

Three-and-a-half-year-old Cole always looks forward to trash day. Why? Because this is the day he gets to see his dear friend and City of San Diego Truck Driver, Dwayne Bullock.

Cole’s dad, Chris Norton says that Cole has loved trash day since he was a toddler. “He’s been infatuated with it, pushing the trash cans, waiting for the trash guy to come,” said Norton.

When Cole was asked why he loves it so much he replied, “Because they pick up stuff.”

Through his route, Dwayne has gotten to know Cole, and recently posted a video to his Facebook page talking about how the two have exchanged Christmas gifts ever since the pandemic.

This year, Dwayne had an extra-special gift for Cole.

The driver had a pair of custom shirts in bright orange, one of each of them. Cole’s shirt reads, “My Big Buddy Dwayne.” Dwayne’s matching shirt reads, “My Little Buddy Cole.”

“I always feel if you smile at somebody, it just makes their day better, because if they smile back, it makes your day better,” said Bullock.

“It takes one second for me to smile at Cole. ‘Hey, here’s a sticker!’ He waves back, ‘Thank you for your service!’ And his day is better because he talks to his teacher about me, he talks to other people about me, now he’s spreading that love that I took one second to show him,” Bullock said.

Laura Norton, Cole’s mom, couldn’t be happier about their friendship. “We try to talk to Cole a lot about just kindness, and generosity and just doing things out of the goodness of your heart for others and Dwayne is a great example of that,” she said.

When asked how he feels about Dwayne, little Cole responded, “”He’s my buddy, yeah.”

The feeling is mutual.

“I love that kid. Love him. Love him to death,” Bullock said.