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AIBU?

To expect that people who own trees that drop fruit all over the pavement should damn well clear it up?

17 replies

Sixofone · 10/09/2007 14:00

Ahh, AIBU, my spiritual home...

It's a nice sunny (if slightly breezy) day, so I decided to walk into town with Little Six in the buggy. On the way, I had to wheel the buggy through a load of dayglo orange berries, courtesy of a tree hanging over someone's garden wall, followed 100 yards later by a load of mushy, wasp-ridden plums off a tree in a school field.

Same again on the way back - so I now have to clean the buggy wheels before I can take the buggy back indoors, ditto the tread of my shoes.

Surely, I am not being unreasonable to expect that tree owners should clear up their tree's doings when they spew all over a public right of way in the same way that dog owners ought to?

(and before anyone is smart enough to suggest it, I am TOO DAMN LAZY to cross over the road, thanks )

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Furzella · 10/09/2007 14:11

I am envious of their glorious harvest - spent ages yesterday trying to reach v v high plums on an inaccessible tree. Totally in vain and got stung by a bee in passing.

Agree it must be v annoying but I think YABU - especially in relation to the school. The caretaker's probably got a million other things to do.

And it's not as bad as dog muckage.

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krang · 10/09/2007 14:22

Gosh, imagine, trees dropping fruit. How terrible. Let's ban them. In fact, let's drop Agent Orange and defoliate the entire country and make sure fruit stays where it belongs...in plastic supermarket packaging on shelves where it cannot mess up our buggies!

YABU.

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Earlybird · 10/09/2007 14:37

An obvious question - why not cross the road and walk where there is no fruit on the pavememt?

Are there streetsweepers in your area? If so, presumably this would fall under their remit?

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annh · 10/09/2007 16:29

Yes, I think you are being unreasonable. We have an apple tree in our front garden which is dropping apples at a great rate at the moment (thankfully not out into the close!. Even if I cleaned them up every morning (which I don't - send ds1 out every so often)loads more would have fallen by evening.

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cushioncover · 10/09/2007 16:59

I think you know YABU. If you don't then oh dear...

But this board is primarily for ranting. Especially if you know YABU but just need to vent. So rant away.

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spitzhund · 10/09/2007 17:03

YABU.

It's fruit.

Stop wheeling your buggy indoors.

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wheresthehamster · 10/09/2007 17:16

Dog shit I could understand but do people REALLY clean fruit off buggy wheels?

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Shoobiedoo · 10/09/2007 17:21

Rather have berries than bits of broken glass, which what we get round our way.

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Sixofone · 10/09/2007 19:16

Sadly, leaving my buggy out in the street isn't an option...

I had to go out again this afternoon. I went and knocked on the dayglo orange berry man's door and asked him very nicely if he could please clean his berries up. He said yes, and agreed with me, he said didn't realise they were causing any problems and promptly went and cleared them up - result

I was really hoping someone would give me a really good argument to convince me that I was being a mardy old cow, but haven't heard one yet Although I do agree that berries aren't as bad as glass or dog poo and wouldn't swap either for the berries.

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Gobbledigook · 10/09/2007 19:17

Er, YABU. I'm not going out and sweeping the public footpath just because a tree drops something on it. I've got better things to do. Sorry.

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Gobbledigook · 10/09/2007 19:18

That man needs to get out more.

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Sixofone · 10/09/2007 19:26

He was quite old. I think it probably counts as a hobby. Or exercise.

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MrsCountingMango · 10/09/2007 19:27

What about the leaves that be will all over the pavements soon? They are slippery and will stick to your wheels too. You better get on with informing your neighbours that you expect them to be clearing your path, pronto.

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Wisteria · 10/09/2007 19:30

Can't believe you actually asked him to clear it up!!!

YAB(very very)U

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vnmum · 10/09/2007 19:30

if you lived in germany then it is your responsibility to clear the pavements and to the middle of the road outside your house. this is by law. it includes litter, leaves, weeds and snow.

it may sound like a pain to have to do it but generally germany looks alot cleaner than the uk

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pyjamaqueen · 10/09/2007 19:31

So we're supposed to clean up after a tree now??
YABU

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Flibbertyjibbet · 10/09/2007 19:40

MIl used to let her tree do this. Till I met dp and said 'are those damsons', et voila since then every year a pile of damson jam and no damsons on the pavement. Made 9lbs of the stuff last week and another load arriving tomorrow.
So I say to you, next year don't winge about it, ask the owner if you can pick the fruit when its ripe, in return for a jar of jam. Sounds like he might agree, if he is nice enough to go out and scoop it all up?

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