An AMA with the Inner Harbor’s garbage-collecting, solar-powered, energy-producing, snake-snagging water wheel, better known as Mr. Trash Wheel, climbed to the No. 1 spot on Reddit’s front page. It even beat out Star Wars hype. Whoa.

The AMA was the culmination of Mr. Trash Wheel’s expansion from Twitter — where his wisecracks have gained more than 4,400 followers — to Reddit. Last week, a TIL about the trash wheel went to No. 2 on Reddit’s homepage. This week, the team at What Works Studio that created and manages the water wheel’s kinda cray internet persona organized the AMA, and took him to the top.

@mrtrashwheel – one of the most unique AMA's I have ever seen! https://t.co/iB87pKgJAA — Melissa Yellen (@MelissaYellen) October 21, 2015

What Works Studio operates the account in connection with Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, which oversees the water wheel, said CEO Brooke Hall.

The persona even inspired a petition to put googly eyes on the water wheel IRL.

So what do you ask a trash wheel? Mostly, how he operates and if he plans to reproduce. Also: honey hams.

Here are five memorable Mr. Trash Wheel quotes, excerpted straight from the session:


1. On working in Baltimore, and relations with other Trash Wheels:

Advantages: Eating Berger Cookie wrappers. Challenges: People asking you if you’ve seen The Wire. 2) Well obviously I’d like to see more trash wheels. You can also reduce stormwater with rain barrels and rain gardens. 3) I’m enjoying the single life at the moment. Don’t want to get pinned down. You know what I mean? 4) I couldn’t be more excited. I hope he’s a foodie who I can talk to about the unique flavors of each piece of waste. Have you ever tasted a two day old Coca-Cola bottle with a little seaweed lodged in it? Unbeatable flavor.

2. On how many honey hams he could eat in a year:

We operate at about $130,000 a year. An average honey ham is about 16lbs. We average about 22 tons a month which is 44,000 lbs. Divide that by 16lbs, and multiply the answer by 12 months and you get about 33,000 whole honey hams in a year give or take.

3. On raising a family:

Why does everyone want me to get married and have children? I’m a free-wheeling garbage-lovin’ trash wheel. I’m not ready to settle down. That being said, I’m not against there being other trash wheels out there to talk to/plot-to-overthrow-the-human-race with.

4. The largest item he’s ever eaten:

I once ate half a tree. Let’s just say tums didn’t cut it that day: http://imgur.com/YLgQUTR

5. Favorite color:

I think I have to go with aquamarine.

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