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AIBU?

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Original poster

Aibu to have reported the dustbin lorry to the council?

393 replies

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:09

Bit of back story us and our next door neighbours quietly dislike each other. Nobody has really said anything but I know we both annoy each other from what is said about the street. They moan about us, things we do etc.

Recently they have been playing loud music in the garden at the weekends in a passive aggressive way. This started when they complained about our chickens being noisy ( we have rehomed the chickens because of this but thats another story) the reason I'm saying all of this is because in general I am just in a bad mood about our neighbours and don't know if this has tainted my reaction.

So next door neighbour is a bin man, he wasn't at work.
Bin lorry come and parks up across my drive . Workmen get out and go in neighbours house/garden for 40 minutes having a drink and break. All this time I was unable to get off or access my drive. There was a bin lorry parked unattended across it.

So husband rings to complain to the council. They were confused as on their tracker the lorry was supposedly elsewhere. They also agreed 40minutes was excessive but said they must have been emptying bins? No they were having a cuppa at my neighbours! Council are going to investigate, I suspect they were taking unauthorised breaks and turning the tracker off.. maybe.

Anyway the reason this has also annoyed me so much is our neighbours have lived hear 30+ years and act like they own the street. Complain about anything we do (leaves from our trees fall in their garden for example.) They are 60+ and set in their ways and we are a young family. Tbh I just dont think they like us, we normally don't rise to it and smile and wave etc. But this time I had had enough and complained.

Aibu? And have we just started ww3?

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 30/07/2026 16:14

BirdLandedonmyHead · 30/07/2026 16:12

A parent blocks a drive for 5 mins when going to pick up a child...
"Block them in"
"Complain to the council"

Bin lorry parks there for 40 minutes...
"You are evil"

It all depends on whether or not they will move when politely asked. The OP wasn't blocked in because she wasn't going anywhere anyway.

user67392097643 · 30/07/2026 16:13

Oh dear - our bin men are fab and will take anything we put out even if the lids not closed like the official rules. I suspect you might find your bin is overlooked or similar now OP!
Why didn’t you just ask them to move, fine to report if they'd refused to do so but you’ve created an unnecessary fuss here and added fuel to the fire. Real mystery why you’re unpopular with them!

OhBettyCalmDown · 30/07/2026 16:12

I think YABU especially as you had no need to actually enter or leave your drive at that time. Generally speaking, if you ask workmen to move they usually will. I would just assume they were on a break. Bin men don’t have a cafeteria to go to or designated spot to park for lunch.

You have an issue with your neighbours but you have reported a group of other people to their employer.

BirdLandedonmyHead · 30/07/2026 16:12

A parent blocks a drive for 5 mins when going to pick up a child...
"Block them in"
"Complain to the council"

Bin lorry parks there for 40 minutes...
"You are evil"

Marroon · 30/07/2026 16:10

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:56

Well I dont feel good because I ended up stooping to their level. But also there is right and wrong and they were wrong.

How were “they” wrong? Your neighbours have nothing to do with where the binmen park for god sake!

ExtraOnions · 30/07/2026 16:10

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:29

Council said that the lorry was supposedly to be at a school at that time. We have pictures and also it arriving and leaving on our ring door bell.
Only reason I mentioned ages as I dont understand why they dislike us so much and can only think of the difference in lifestyle and that we have found children. Sorry if you found it irrelevant.

I think I understand why they dislike you if this is a prime example of your pettiness. You didn’t need your car, didn’t need to go anywhere, it’s boiling hot, you are in no way inconvenienced, and you dob them in for having a break.

Having worked at a council, the worst that will happen to them is a small ticking off .. for you expect any minor bin infringement to end with your bin not being emptied … it will be a much more difficult outcome for you than them.

crowsfeet57 · 30/07/2026 16:09

Thing is when you buy a house with a drive you have the right to use the drive whenever you want to. Not just when it suits your neighbours, your neighbour's colleagues or any old random who can't be arsed to find somewhere to park that involves them walking more than 10 feet.

Personally I would have made them move it and then driven round the block, come back and made them move it again!

adragoncalledaudrey · 30/07/2026 16:07

Did you knock and ask them to move?

I’m assuming the men are entitled to breaks and would have to park up somewhere. I’d like to think they are entitled to a break in this heat and the fact that their job is physical. It must feel torturous some days.

I can understand neighbour issues - I have two horrors - I can also understand why you may feel like engaging in a petty retaliation.

BUT.

I wouldn’t dream of involving others in that pettiness. That is beyond nasty. You have zero idea if they are aware of what has been going on but yet you have chosen to include them in your retaliation.

Like others, from your posts it doesn’t seem to be a puzzle as to why your neighbours have taken a dislike you.

It is sod all to do with your age or their age.

Luckydog7 · 30/07/2026 16:06

These responses are crazy to me. Is this all the same people who are up in arms about someone parking across their drive and shouting for everyone to block them in?

What does it matter WHO parked there? They shouldn't have parked over someone drive. The part about the binmen who were supposed the working makes it extra cheeky.

Original poster
Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 16:06

Ok so scrap the bit about the age I apologise I was just trying to explain we have different lifestyles. In the future I will be more mindful as I understand now it was irrelevant. Once again I apologise if I offended anyone.

OP posts:
TheHungryHungryLandsharks · 30/07/2026 16:03

They are 60+ and set in their ways and we are a young family.

Ah. Ageist nonsense. We haven't had a thread like this for a while.

Perhaps there's a reason they don't like you? Can't imagine what it could be though. Most perplexing.

YabbaDabbaDooooo · 30/07/2026 16:00

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:47

It would be interesting to see if the response would be the same if I had just said councils bin lorry parked infront of my drive and buggered off the have a break for 40 mins.

They didn't know i knew where they were, they didn't knock and say just shout us if you need us to move etc.

*Young children typo

Well yes because if they'd buggered off, then you couldn't have spoken to them like the mature adult you're supposed to be 🤷‍♂️

KaleidoscopeSmile · 30/07/2026 15:59

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:53

I think my point is they have been petty about countless things with us and I finally broke and was petty back.

I think your point is that you're clearly ageist

"They are 60+ and set in their ways and we are a young family" would seem to prove it

Actually, "we are a young faaahmily" makes me want to barf, which is my equivalent of the MN "ick"

amargaritaplease · 30/07/2026 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:56

Well I dont feel good because I ended up stooping to their level. But also there is right and wrong and they were wrong.

OP posts:
MellowZebra · 30/07/2026 15:56

I would have inwardly seethed a bit, but if I didn't need to go out I wouldn't have done anything about it. Starting a war with neighbours is just not a good idea.

Bananacrepewithnuts · 30/07/2026 15:53

baileys6904 · 30/07/2026 15:30

So youve taken your dislike of the neighbour out on some people that just work with him, potentially putting their jobs at risk, because, let's face it, if they were parked outside a cafe somewhere, you wouldn't give a damn.

Absolutely BU and this will do nowt but escalate

Agreed.

You behaved arsey OP.
Hope you feel good about yourself - have a feeling you're regretting it or you wouldn't be on here.

Original poster
Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:53

I think my point is they have been petty about countless things with us and I finally broke and was petty back.

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 30/07/2026 15:52

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:29

Council said that the lorry was supposedly to be at a school at that time. We have pictures and also it arriving and leaving on our ring door bell.
Only reason I mentioned ages as I dont understand why they dislike us so much and can only think of the difference in lifestyle and that we have found children. Sorry if you found it irrelevant.

Their age was definitely irrelevant. If you didn't even ask the lorry to move because you needed access then you YABU and may now experience a worse relationship with your neighbours and disgruntled bin men.

Daisypopp88 · 30/07/2026 15:48

Well if you didnt have beef with your neighbour you probably will now after reporting his work colleagues to the council! You could have asked them to move it and sounds like you didnt even need to go anywhere at the time so the call to the council was unnecessary.

Original poster
Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:47

It would be interesting to see if the response would be the same if I had just said councils bin lorry parked infront of my drive and buggered off the have a break for 40 mins.

They didn't know i knew where they were, they didn't knock and say just shout us if you need us to move etc.

*Young children typo

OP posts:
pinkandwhiteroses · 30/07/2026 15:47

Bumpyroads · 30/07/2026 15:29

Council said that the lorry was supposedly to be at a school at that time. We have pictures and also it arriving and leaving on our ring door bell.
Only reason I mentioned ages as I dont understand why they dislike us so much and can only think of the difference in lifestyle and that we have found children. Sorry if you found it irrelevant.

You have way too much time on your hands.

ColdAsAWitches · 30/07/2026 15:40

So you didn't actually need access at the time. And they've "passive-aggressively" been playing music? While having the cheek to be 60? Jesus Christ.

Lifejigsaw · 30/07/2026 15:36

Where did you find the children?

whenallthesconesaregone · 30/07/2026 15:36

Ugh. This would get my blood boiling. I live in a similar town where entitlement is the order of the day & some families are long established, well connected and utterly selfish. In the past and in my naivety I’ve shown frustration only to get one hell of a back lash lasting years. Now I pick my battles & try to avoid all contact with the aggressive ones - it’s one way of dealing with bullies. You were right, of course, but it seems your neighbours have some clout.