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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To steal next doors wheelie bin because they have ours <very childish emoticon>?

126 replies

DooinMeCleanin · 03/03/2011 09:38

DH says he feels bad about it. I don't. They still have a bin, our bin. It is not my problem they love my bin so much they daren't put it out to emptied incase we take it back.

We paid for an extra wheelie bin. I have two dogs, a cat with ibs (who poos a lot) two children and very many visiting children. We go through a lot of poop bags and sweet wrappers.

We always had bin bags in the yard that we couldn't fit into our bin, so we bought the extra bin off the council.

Last fortnight our extra bin went walk about. Last night DH saw it in next doors yard. They must have been hiding it behind our extension, where we couldn't see it and moved it last night closer to the back door, ready to go out first thing in the morning I presume, incase we spotted it last night and took it back. Only it seems like they have slept in as our bin is not out, their bin is. They put their bin out when they moved ours in their yard.

So I have taken their instead. DH feels guilty. I paid for an extra bin, I pay extra to have my extra bin collected, if they want an extra bin, they can pay for one of their own.

And yes, I do realise how petty I am being.

OP posts:
MissVerinder · 03/03/2011 09:41

Take it back! It's not petty, it's theft!

Original poster
DooinMeCleanin · 03/03/2011 09:42

And them taking mine isn't? They can have it back, when they bring mine back empty.

OP posts:
Tiredmumno1 · 03/03/2011 09:42

I dont think you are being petty, you paid for the extra bin

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 09:43

Yes take it back!

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/03/2011 09:43

You aren't being petty. I would be enraged. You've paid for it, it belongs to you and not them.
I am currently eying what appears to be a bin which nobody has claimed.
Where we live, you either buy a big black bin for 160 euros and then fix some card things on the handles which cost 3 euros a pop, or use orange sacks which cost 6 euros a go.
Next door is currently for sale and the bin is outside. The question is, should I borrow it for a bit and hope the new owners don't realised.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 03/03/2011 09:43

The sacks hold about 25% of what the bin holds.

worraliberty · 03/03/2011 09:43

Sorry I meant take your bin back, not theirs Blush

valiumredhead · 03/03/2011 09:43

Could it not just have been a mistake? Just go and ask for it back!

QueenOfFlippingEverything · 03/03/2011 09:44

It not theft, its swapping.

There was obviously a misunderstanding on their part over whose bin was whose.

You have helpfully cleared it up for them.

You could even pop them a little note to tell them about how helpful you have been.

Grin
HecateQueenOfWitches · 03/03/2011 09:45

Well, why don't you knock at the door and say "I see you have borrowed my bin. It is

I would like it back please. I don't know if you know this, but I had to pay £X for it and I did that because I need it."

And stand there, looking them in the eye.

RealityIsKnockedUp · 03/03/2011 09:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsKwazii · 03/03/2011 09:46

Your neighbours are cheeky sods. Nope, don't feel guilty. You all have the correct numbers of bins.

I'd be tempted to paint your door number on all sides of your bins. Or get some of those wheelie bin stickers from the pound shop - ugly cute cats or sinister whimsical gnomes - to make your bins as ugly and identifiable as possible.

Bet they won't ask for it back anyway - because they now know that you know about their bin stealing habit Grin

Original poster
DooinMeCleanin · 03/03/2011 09:47

how can it have been a mistake? Did they forget they only have one bin and not two? Or did they forget they live at number 123 and not 345? All the bins are numbered.

Yes swapping is what it is Grin. They never answer the door, or I would ask for it back, once it is empty, but as they didn't put it out last night, it will still be full. A full bin is no use to me. And by the time the bin wagon comes again it will have been full for a month. I don't want someone's month old rubbish in my yard.

OP posts:
valiumredhead · 03/03/2011 09:48

OP, buy some of those huge number stickers and stick your house number on your bin. Sorted! Grin

HecateQueenOfWitches · 03/03/2011 09:49

Or - if you don't want to challenge them directly, you could say "Have you seen my other bin? / Seen anyone take my other bin? I paid £X for it and it has gone missing after a week. I can't believe someone would take it. I had to pay for that. Who would steal it from me?"

and hope that it magically appears in the middle of the night.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 03/03/2011 09:51

I was about to ask how you knew it was yours.

But you say it is numbered.

Letter through the door then, if they never answer the door.

"I noticed you have borrowed my bin, please leave it out for me to take back after the next collection. Thank you

Quenelle · 03/03/2011 09:52

Keep theirs. As long as it's not more minging than yours was. It's a fair swap.

And dare them to come and ask for it back Angry

PoledrathePissedOffFairy · 03/03/2011 09:53

It's not petty - it's taking back what's yours.

I had similar bin rage a few years ago. We had plastic boxes for recycling paper. I got myself a lovely new one (replacement) as ours had broken. Put a sticker on the side with house number on it. Someone nicked it, and left us their old one. And I know they knew they'd nicked it, as they'd carefully tried to pick off the sticker, leaving shreds of paper stuck to the side.

Reader, I waited till the next time the bins went out, and took it back Grin

MissVerinder · 03/03/2011 09:54

I meant take your bin back. maybe you could hold theirs hostage? If you pay for it, your extra bin is a different colour? Cancel the DD if they keep it.

QuintessentialShadows · 03/03/2011 09:55

Keep theirs.

Ensure your paint the house number on both your bins. Nicely, and with white paint.

Original poster
DooinMeCleanin · 03/03/2011 09:56

No it's the same colour. All the bins are colour coded by what they are for i.e general rubbish, garden rubbish, tins etc.

It would have made more sense for paid for bins to be a different colour.

OP posts:
coatgate · 03/03/2011 10:00

YADNBU. Keep their bin hostage until they return yours. Thieving whatnots!

TallulahDoesTheHula · 03/03/2011 10:01

Could escalate into them nicking it back and then you nicking it back repeatedly this way. At the moment they dont know that you've noticed your bin in their yard. All they know is that you've stolen their bin.

Get the moral high ground here and make them look very small by dropping a note through their door.

'I've noticed that you've borrowed our second bin. We bought this for £X as we really need the extra bin space. I've knocked a couple of times to ask you to return (when its been emptied) but cant get hold of you in person, so I've borrowed your bin as a replacement for now. Please swap back after next collection. Thanks'

Then they know exactly why you've taken their bin and they can either let you keep it or swap back, but they CANT steal it back without looking like utter utter twats. HTH

GwendolineMaryLacey · 03/03/2011 10:03

Bugger feeling guilty, go and get it. If you need to empty any rubbish that's in it on their lawn well then that's what you have to do...

:o

Original poster
DooinMeCleanin · 03/03/2011 10:05

They have no lawn. It's all yards and alleys here (like Corrie). I did tell DH last night that if my bin was not there and empty this morning I was going to start throwing bags of dirty cat litter over their wall Blush, since they had our bin, they could have our rubbish too. But I have an extra bin, now, so they won't be subjected to fat cat's waste.

OP posts: