'There's good people out there': 3-year-old boy and trash collector share unique friendship in South Loop

CHICAGO (CBS)-- A boy who only knew life inside during the pandemic learned to come out of his shell thanks to a trash collector who took the time. 

Rain or shine, 3-and-half-year-old  Lou waits faithfully for his neighbor on wheels.

"When new people would come up to him there was definitely that stranger danger,"  Lou's mom Carolyn said. 

Lou watches the Netflix show Trash Truck and the show even inspired his Halloween costume. Lou's love for the show led to a unique friendship with a real-life trash collector.

"Has never been a stranger to trash truck," Carolyn said. 

Rich Rosales jumps out from behind the wheel of the truck every morning and is greeted by Lou. 

"His natural response is to kind of cover, hide, turn his face away and I think rich kind of recognized that, he's a dad himself," Carolyn said.

Over the last two year Lou's corner of South Loop has become Rich's fondest part of his route

"It's nice to see a little kid smile, if I can do that just for one kid a day or one kid period, it's all worth it," Rich said. 

A smile from little boy who learned how strangers can become friends

"For somebody to care that we'd never met before is really sweet, it's just this nice reminder that there's good people out there," Carolyn said.