about blokes rummaging in our skip?

[SomethingNastyInTheBallPool]

We’re having building work done at the moment and have a skip on our drive.
Suddenly, we’re a magnet for dodgy-looking blokes who turn up in vans and start rummaging through the skip, taking whatever they fancy. This happens several times a day.
Now, I’m all in favour of recycling and like to think of stuff being reused but - am I BU to find it rude and a bit uncomfortable that these people are coming into my front garden in a very quiet suburban road and taking stuff without asking?
I confronted one man just now but he seemed to think I was BVU!

When DM died we had a skip on the drive. I confronted some dodgy blokes who was about to take the front gates! We'd taken them off for the skip and put them at the other end of the drive, so it was clear they weren't met for the skip.

We had this when we had a skip after our kitchen was ripped out - it becomes a magnet for skip fishing. It is a bit unnerving having strangers on your property doing this and I felt the same as you - they all looked dodgy as well. 80% of them however did have the manners to at least knock on the door first to ask permission. The ones that didn't did make me pucker up a bit, I found it rude and intrusive.

Well you are not, especially if the skip is on your property and not in the road.

Having said that, there are a lot of white van men everywhere theses days, often looking fro an unattended item. It's the biggest crime in our rural town and surrounding villages.

And "Fuck Off" doesn't seem to deter them!

I do agree with you.

I suppose to them its just a large dustbin full of stuff to use or sell.

I’m so glad it’s not just me that finds it intrusive and very cheeky. I was wondering if I was being a bit petty!

I think it is a bit petty to begrudge someone making a living out of your waste tbh.

Just be glad it's that way round. We had a skip delivered one night and by the next morning it was full of other people's rubbish 😠

What does "look dodgy" mean?

What does "look dodgy" mean?

Not wearing a pinstripe suit and bowler hat, obviously.

I don’t begrudge anyone the stuff. After all I don’t have plans for it. I just think it would be nice if they asked first.

I can’t say I’d care tbh, if it’s in a skip obviously I don’t want it so go for it I say 🤷🏻‍♀️

What does “dodgy” look like? Not wearing a tracksuit and a tag are they?

It was a genuine question. Why dodge it? (pun intended)

"Looks dodgy" means "of a lower class than me" ime. Or "wearing the sort of clothes you'd put on to search through other people's skips".

Do you have a gate on your property? I think it's particularly cheeky if they come through a gate and take things. If it's standing on an open driveway, it's a bit different. But yes, as a PP said, usually it's the other way around, where neighbours put their things on a skip before you've had the chance to use it yourself.

I'd see it as a benefit, really - the more they take, the fewer skips you'll need.

Everyone knows what it means to say someone looks dodgy! To say you don't know is very disingenuous.

Doing you a favour and giving you more space in the skip surely? Completely harmless

Assuming you don't put stuff in the skip that you actually want to keep, I don't see the problem. I used to rummage in skips in London in my younger days, often found stuff that went on my weekend antique stall or things like ripped out windows I used on my allotment. The skips were always in the road, not on driveways or behind gates.

I should have added that I don't think I ever looked dodgy :P

We have people rummaging down our bins here 😡 Pulling it all apart and then leaving it all on the floor.

And our bins are in our front garden behind a gate.

Isn't it theft? Even if you are throwing it out, it still belongs to you and it was taken without permission.

I'm reminded of that couple who got convicted for dumpster diving at Tescos (and they were dodgy)

I like it tbh. I had a new oven fitted yesterday, put the old one out and the scrap metal guy had taken it within 4 hours. I was chuffed! Saved me a job and cost.

Everyone knows what it means to say someone looks dodgy

I'm Autistic so I don't know actually. Is someone going to tell me?

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.