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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think these bin men should man up?

13 replies

3monkeys3 · 31/08/2012 20:43

I've been enjoying AIBU unreasonable recently and finally have something to post about!

It is recycling collection day and the bin men have not collected our recycling. They left a note on the boxes saying that they would not touch them because they are 'full of fleas'. So, I get myself into a minor state about our garage being infested with fleas and what are we going to do about it and how did the fleas get in there as we don't have pets, etc, etc. Finally pluck up the courage to go and have a look and there are no fleas, but quite a few flies - the little, midgy sort.

AIBU to be a bit cross that the bin men did not take the recycling? And also that through misspelling/inability to identify insects they made me think my garage was infested with fleas? I know flies aren't very nice and I am a Guardian reading, liberal sort of person who thinks everyone is entitled to decent working conditions, but don't you think that flies are very likely to be something you may encounter whilst working as a bin man and not really a big deal at all? Also very frustrating that leaving the recycling for a further 2 weeks to be collected next time is only going to make matters worse, so I will now have to have to deal with it myself - a bit annoying given we pay our council tax to get it collected!

OP posts:
Wheresmygalaxy · 31/08/2012 20:46

No, surely there is a noticable difference between fleas and midgeys? it probably took them longer to write a note explaining why they werent taking it than to just empty the thing.

ours were the same i put our garden waste out, somebody walking past decided to throw in a drinks bottle, so recycling men wouldnt touch the whole bin as we had put in waste not accepted.

The way they act sometimes youd thin they were taking all the rubbish home with them, not taking it to a dump.

Goofus · 31/08/2012 22:14

If it is, as you say, just flies YANBU.
They are repulsive little things that love nothing more then buzzing around/inside bins. This should not be a surprise to binmen.

AgentZigzag · 31/08/2012 22:38

Could they be fruit flies? They're most likely to go with something that's had food in.

But I agree with you, if they can't take rotting rubbish then being a binman (binperson? Bin Operator? Grin) isn't really for them.

I'd be tempted to write a letter back.

geegee888 · 31/08/2012 23:14

Ours don't take ours if it snows or rains heavily, or if its the four weeks either end of the festive period. Since they only turn up twice a month, this meant no rubbish collection for 3 months one winter. So as for manning up, its never going to happen, I think they should just be sacked, or alternatively, paid a suitable wage for unskilled manual labour (have you seen what the average wage is for some of them?)

Latara · 31/08/2012 23:41

YANBU - your binmen do need to man up!!

But i'd like to boast say that my binmen are great.
They take any extra rubbish bags that are left out when they are only meant to take what is in the wheelie bins; that's the 'normal' binmen; the 'recycling' binmen AND the 'garden waste' binmen.

Impressed :)
I couldn't imagine them worrying about fleas, flies or anything else!

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 31/08/2012 23:54

YANBU. Whether fleas or flies, the bin men should have dealt with it because that's their job. Sounds like they are lazy and wussy and need to grow some balls.

msnaughty · 31/08/2012 23:56

our bit men are great to. in our recycle bins we can put loads of stuff in there. clothes,plastics,paper and all the other general recycle type stuff. i had a big sort out so recycle bin lid would not close plus had to black sacks of recycle stuff and they still took it all.

had to much general rubbish to. and the still took it. and they come right to the door and take it to.

also me and my neighbours use each others bins as well, to 'try and avoid black bag left out.

i do think its silly really when bin men wont take extra. it just gets left behinde and the area looks messy. its a bit mad that the council are not bothered by that

GalaxyDefender · 01/09/2012 09:22

YANBU, that's appalling.

My poor sister didn't have hers picked up for weeks on end, presumably because the bin men are too lazy to walk down the lane (too narrow for the van I'd say, not massively long) and collect from the posho houses down there.
Given that the council have now furnished all of us with those new-fangled food waste bins, it was all getting a bit ... fragrant until my sister complained to the council. Several times.

NCForNow · 01/09/2012 09:27

Idiots! Phone the council and complain! YANBU!

JumpingThroughMoreHoops · 01/09/2012 09:34

geegee888 three months between rubbish collections? that would provoke a complaint from me with the line that I expected a pro rata proportion of my council tax refunded accordingly.

squeakytoy · 01/09/2012 09:36

If there are loads of flies, then there are maggots, and that means that there is food waste in the recycling, which is probably why they didnt take it.

just1fornow · 01/09/2012 09:39

I've also had issues with my binmen this week, apparently my bin was too heavy (it has wheels so they don't have to lift it) it had nothing more than general waste in it (what's supposed to be in it). so I phones the council and they want me to pay to have it taken away which is a joke! in my opinion .... so I have now had to remove the bags and take it to the tip by myself with a toddler in tow (and it wasn't heavy at all).

so i completely sympathise with you

allthegoodnamesweretaken · 01/09/2012 09:56

agentzigzag I think they are refuse collectors?

YANBU OP, our recycling hardly ever gets taken and we don't even get a note explaining why!

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