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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Well, am I?! HONEY, WHO SHRUNK THE WHEELIE BIN?! I'm overheating and the f*****s have stolen my wheelie bin!!!

215 replies

PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 20:22

NC.

Got home today to find my large wheelie bin has shrunk!!! In its place is a miniature version!!! Toy Town!!! No warning, no contact from the local council, nothing. I am not pleased.

Now locally, with DCs using nappies, or if you have a large family, then you are entitled to the large bin. We qualify on the nappy front.

A few months ago, the local council sent out forms to everyone to check current status. I diligently filled in the form and sent it back. The waste management team came round and exchanged a few neighbours' (now only with older DCs) large wheelie bins for the small ones, but as expected they left our large one. All seemed well.

Until today, when a swap of ours was done out of the blue.

We are not huge consumers, and all our garden waste and recycling goes into the separate bins without fail. With a family, and pets, and DCs using nappies, the large wheelie bin is full for the fortnightly collections. We live rurally, there is no nearby household waste site, and of course we'd never, ever flytip. With the best will in the world, we couldn't manage with a smaller bin. If we could, we would.

The best, or worst, part of this scenario - and the bit that has me flapping around doing forehead-slapping impressions of a sweaty Victor Meldrew in a flowery dress and wedge-heeled sandals - follows:

Our old large wheelie bin was nearly half full, mainly of bagged nappies. These nappies have been taken out and transferred over to the new miniature wheelie bin, leaving it pretty full already. The next collection is over a week away.

What sort of useless article does that?! Comes to do a bin swap, sees the old one is half full of nappies, and carries on anyway?! Did this fooly mcfoolface not stop to think for one minute, 'oh, this must be a mistake, these people have the nappy entitlement to a large bin, I'd better leave it and go back to base, or ring, and check. But no. Instead he, (for it must be a he), took the time and trouble to decant all the nappies over to the new miniature bin. He didn't even knock on our door to check, (because someone was working at home all day).

I am not one of those 'I pay my council tax!' kind of people, and I usually really really appreciate the jobs people do for us, that keep our communities and lives ticking over. But this lack of any contact from the local council, and the lack of initiative from the person who did the swap, beggars belief!!!

I know it's hot, but is the weather that hot that even our wheelie bins are f'ing shrinking?! Angry

It is these straws that break our hardworking backs. Gin😣

OP posts:
catinboots9 · 04/07/2018 20:23

I feel your pain OP. My wheelie bob was nicked so I rang up the council for a new one. I was told there was a waiting list.

I mean FFS it's a wheelie bin not a Fendi handbag.

OverTheHedgeHammy · 04/07/2018 20:24

Are you sure it was the council? I'd lay money on it being one of the recipients of the mini bins doing a swap.

CrohnicallyEarly · 04/07/2018 20:24

I expect it wasn't the council, but a neighbour that has had their large bin swapped for a small, and decided to pinch someone else's.

gamerchick · 04/07/2018 20:26

Maybe it wasn't the council and someone around you had objected to having a small bin and has nicked yours?

gamerchick · 04/07/2018 20:26

Xpostd

PsychoPumpkin · 04/07/2018 20:29

OP, it’ll so be a neighbour. Have a look next time the bins are out for someone who suddenly has a much larger bin!

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 04/07/2018 20:29

How weird Confused. Round here, you have to make a special request for a mini version, eg if you have storage issues.

The bins are still collected along with the bigger ones so there’s no particular advantage to the council.
Unless they think your rubbish expands to fit the bin you’re allocated, and will shrink accordingly when the bin size is reduced?!

PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 20:59

Yes, bonkers, and personally I'd rather have my wheelie bin back than a Fendi handbag, cat!!!

OP posts:
PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 21:03

I'd not even considered that it might be one of my naice neighbours!!! I've got to go out tonight with a torch now, haven't I?! Thanks to all for planting that monster in my ear!! Shock

OP posts:
NotNowBernardmonster · 04/07/2018 21:06

OP, are you in the borough of Croydon? Ours are all being shrunk and replaced.

brummiesue · 04/07/2018 21:06

The council arent going to get their hands dirty transferring nappies over! Its a neighbour......

RumDo · 04/07/2018 21:14

When I upgraded my half sized wheelie bin to the standard sized one, the council bod DID just decant the contents! (Including the stinky nappies and bin juice 🤮)

AviatorShades · 04/07/2018 21:19

brummiesue 's got it right, there. Good luck on the torch hunt,OP.

OliviaBenson · 04/07/2018 21:34

Slightly off topic.....but try using reusable nappies.

If king Henry the 8th used disposables, they'd still be around....

Just saying.

busybuildingdens · 04/07/2018 21:38

Ah, the bins make me irrationally angry! We requested a big one when we moved (2 DC in nappies) and were given a miniature bin. New NDN’s, childless, must have pretended their bin had been nicked, so got a new one, and now put two out on collection day! I bet you it was a neighbour OP!

Walkingdeadfangirl · 04/07/2018 21:53

YABU, do more recycling. are you aware of global warming?

EeeSheWasThin · 04/07/2018 21:57

When I asked to swap our bins, the council took away the half full ones and left shiny clean new ones empty.

Have you been out to check the neighbours yet? 😉

PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:04

Not yet, Eee, it's still a bit light here, and the DCs haven't settled with the heat.

It sounds like your council is better than ours!

You asked to swap, I noticed - this was enforced swapping Shock

OP posts:
ItscominghomeItscominghome · 04/07/2018 23:10

We had a big bin as had children/nappies. I had to have a 1 to 1 visit from a council officer to prove that I needed it. We lived in a village. On the day that we moved my sister came down to swipe it (she has 2 in nappies but didnt have one) only to find that in the 15 minutes between our van leaving and her arriving some other neighbour (childfree) had nicked it. Big bins are hot property.

PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:13

We're on the same page, Walking. I don't know if you missed the bit in my post where I mention that? We buy less, use less, repair what can be repaired, pass things on to be reused, happily accept clothes handed down to the DCs, and recycle everything possible. Nothing goes in the wheelie bin that can be recycled. Both recycling bins are as big as the rubbish one, and get as full.

OP posts:
PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:18

A one to one visit with a council officer, Itscoming?! For a bin?! No wonder the council tax and cuts to services are both always rising. Seems a bit wasteful, over the top, and intrusive. Shock

OP posts:
PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:30

are you aware of global warming? Shock

I've possibly got (darned) tights older than you, Walking. Grin

I was recycling long before it became popular, and was possibly wearing my organic Greenpeace t-shirt while you were still in (hopefully reusable) nappies. Wink

OP posts:
Leo90 · 04/07/2018 23:31

Our bin was cracked so my stepmum requested a new one only to be told to go on Amazon and buy it herself.

Then when they came to take away the old one they took the brand new one.

PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:39

Buy one on Amazon, Leo?! Shock

They probably resold the one they took, on Amazon or eBay Confused

OP posts:
PimpMyWheelieBin · 04/07/2018 23:44

Did she manage to get it back, Leo, and what was their excuse?

OP posts:
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