Telling off neighbours kid for littering

[Amatullah]

Context: So we have a massive rubbish problem with our building. Some neighbours are so lazy and disgusting they wont open the bins they will just dump their bags on top of the large communal bin or to the side..as a result foxes get to them making an absolute mess, or we have seen people rummaging thru bags. Horrible flies in this weather too - were ground floor so can get loads in our flat in this weather especially.

Today me n oh were sitting in the car ready to set off when i see two boys around age 10 and one of them chucked his empty drink bottle on the floor next to someones dumped rubbish. There were three massive communal bins right infront of him. So my oh horned and shouted out "pick up the bottle and put it in the bin", quite sternly..he was a bit taken a back but did it and ran off. I thougnt it was good he told him but seemed like he got told off, where i may have been a bit more gentler. Whbu to tell the kid off?

Ayy curumba my typos - sorry!!! Sent that super quick

Nope reasonable.

However remember kids respond better to praise than a telling off, so if you see him again praise him for doing the right thing even though your OH had to tell him to do it.

Good idea! Just pretty shocking though that a lot of people dont care about littering - especially where you live!!
Even my 2 year old asks to put things in the bin!! Maybe because im so stringent with recycling and not littering!

Does your OH also tell off the Adults and blow the car horn and intimidate them into putting their rubbish in the bins, or does he only pick on children?

If he does the same to the Adults, then that's fine.

birdsgottafly yep he's told other neighbours to sort their mess out. Some of them are so silly they have dumped their empty boxes with their name and address still on them. I felt uncomfortable as this was a kid and wondered how his parents will react if he told them.. but we are really really fustrated at the escalating rubbish problem.

He wasn't exactly U, so long as he's also prepared to shout at the adults who do similar since it sounds like adults are the main culprits in making the area so messy. If he's only going to do it to people who are smaller than him when they are mainly following the example of bigger people, that kind of makes him a bit of a twat.

Sorry - had the tab open for ages and cross posted.

Since he tells everyone, he's not being U. But it may not be particularly effective (telling them in a gentler manner probably wouldn't be either). A better approach would be to get together with other neighbours who don't like the state of the rubbish and build a sort of campaign, tackling any of the issues that make it difficult for some people to get their rubbish in the bins, encouraging everyone to be more considerate, asking the council or landlord for support, etc..

The request is reasonable, the reported manner of,the request not

Amatullah, so you are taking your frustration out on the children?

He's a bully. Or he would have tackled the Parents.

Oh for god sake, yes he was perfectly reasonable. If I saw a fully grown adult chuck something on the floor right next to my house you're damn right I'd get them to pick it up. A sharp tap on the horn or a good use of the local "Oi/Hey/Err" to get their attention.
If you couldn't give a toss about the environment and basic manners then I certainly won't be beating around the bush with you!
Have you seen the video of the yorkshire man getting the couple he caught flytipping to load all their rubbish back in their car? World needs more people like him.
There is a difference between being aggressive/intimidating and firm.

Doubt that kid will be littering around yours again soon!

Bellowing?

I suspect, like many people, he speaks to children more sternly than he does to adults. I don't think that is unreasonable. But shouting at them and honking the horn is taking it too far.

It was a good thing, if people were called out a bit more about littering they might think twice before doing it. I hate confronting people but even I start pointing it out to people now. (I can't believe the people who literally just throw rubbish on the ground instead of carrying it with them)