WIBU to take my picker and harvest these fruits?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

There are council-planted fruiting trees on our streets and at the entrances to places like leisure centres. Nobody picks the fruit, and every year it falls to the ground, wasted.

WIBU to take my picker and harvest the trees?

I have no hesitation harvesting brambles and elderberries etc from hedgerows, or picking a few low-hanging fruit from the 'public' trees to eat as I walk along, but actually harvesting from the trees with an implement seems...I dunno...cheeky?

Ask what the council's policy is, maybe?

Why not contact the council and ask?

They never harvest.

It's the sort of thing where, if you ask permission, some ignorant jobsworth would likely say "No". But would there be any real reason not to?

I would. Could you share the fruit somehow?

I'm sure it will be fine , we have a community orchard near us and you are allowed to pick whatever but you are supposed to just take what you will use i.e. Not fill the freezer / pick to sell .

I would too. People pick the cherrys apples and plums from the trees on council land where I live.

Pick them!
I forage fruit locally, as long as you don't take all the fruit or damage the tree (or any property while picking) you'll be fine.
Perhaps your local food bank would appreciate a glut of fruit as long as they have notice.

beg forgiveness if need be. always preferable to asking permission

I would pick everything that is ripe, take what you will use, and put the rest in a box underneath the tree, with a wee sign saying "take me" or "free" or whatever

Pick it.

Are you sure they're eating apples?

If you ask the council for permission they will say no. Giving permission means that they could be liable for any accidents.

Just pick what you will eat unless someone objects.

I think taking some is fine, taking all is wrong.

Pick some but leave for others, please.

Are they on the side of a road? I am not sure I would want to eat them as they will have been contaminated by car exhausts fumes. Unless it is some v. quiet country lane with 1 car every six hours or something.

I'm not sure that scrumping (picking other people's apples) laws apply to public spaces? Try googling scrumping and see what you find.

Seems a shame for the fruit to waste, and why should a cultivated plant (apple/plum/pear) be any different under law than a wild blackberry bush on common land?

I like ghostcurry's idea.

OohMavis, all apples are eating apples, even if you have to cook them first.

I was thinking more along the line of crab apples, which can do a very convincing impression of normal, edible apples...

You can make an nice jelly with crab apples. To accompany meats.

Yes. I'd pick what you need without asking for permission. In the unlikely event someone tells you off for doing so just play dumb and promise never to do it again.