Neighbour's plastic cup and Covid19

[Annarosez]

I have OCD and was just wondering how a "normal person" would deal with this!

A few days ago when it was recycling collection day a plastic cup from one of our neighbour's recycling bags was blown by the wind onto our front lawn. With Covid-19 spreading through both saliva and droplets, this made me a bit concerned (i.e. a relatively large amount of saliva like that could easily contain thousands+ viral particles and it can last on plastics for 3-9 days) so I left it for 3/4 days and then we've just poked the cup down into the street (with a stick) close to our bin for bin collection tomorrow. This obviously looks a bit insane and got me wondering what everyone else would do?

I would have picked it up, put it in the bin and then washed my hands

Technically the virus can last on plastic for 3-4 days although I imagine in this case the chance of actually being infected this way is really small. I would have picked up the cup put it in the bin then washed my hands straight away.

Wtf? So you are terrified to pick the cup up but you think the refuse collectors should because you’ve left it vaguely near a bin? A normal reaction would have been to pick up the cup last week, put it in the bin and then wash your hands.

Pick it up, put it in the bin, and then wash your hands. Or use a plastic bag or glove to pick it up if that would make you feel better? It won't be collected if it's not in the bin.

The only danger would be if you touched the cup then touched your mouth, eyes, etc before washing your hands. It's not going to jump off the cup to get you

I've just read this 3 times and no I've no idea what your taking about.
I'd have picked it up put in bin then washed my hands . I'm not sure if I'm normal or not .
So are you worried about the cup or that fact that you may have been seen picking it up with a stick ?

Go pick it up and put it in a bin, littering isn’t ok! Why should the bin man be put at risk (if it doesn’t get blown further by then) when they can’t easily wash their hands? Go pick it up and then wash your hands. I no it didn’t start out as yours but to just shove it down the street for someone else to clean up is ridiculous

Yrah that's odd.... I woiod have picked it up, put it in the bin and washed my hands.... Which is what I would have done pre covid.

If I was of a nervous disposition. I may have taken something from my recycling bin to use to pick up the cup before then putting in the bin and washing my hands... But leaving it then prodding it about seems strange to me.

Just pick it up. Put it in a bin. Wash hands.
It’s not a big deal, it really isn’t.

I would probably have picked it up, put it in the bin and then washed my hands.

I can only imagine how difficult OCD must be at the moment, hope you're managing okay and that asking for perspective helps.

Picked it up and put it in the bin. I always pick up any litter the night before bin day in my local area. I did the same as usual last night including picking up lots of discarded gloves and then washed my hands.

Didn't mean to enable voting! Obviously I'm being unreasonable and was aware of that in my first post.

ChipotleBlessing- they wear thick gloves and protective gear and it's an expected aspect of the collection job that you will deal with a certain amount of disposed of plastic. It might well get left behind if they decide that it cannot be lifted. As I have a crippling psychiatric condition I'm much less able than the average person to pick things up (I'm also unable to do thousands of other things that I want to do and it seriously affected my life).

Sorry if I’ve been harsh OP, missed the genuine OCD bit. I still think pushing it onto the street for someone else to deal with is crap though. Guessing you live on your own?

I would of picked it up and washed my hands.

Unless it was a cup full of saliva that you picked up, drank and then licked the rim of you are pretty safe to just pick it up, pop it in the bin and then wash your hands...

You poked it with a stick?!

If you have that big of an issue use something to pick it up. An old bread wrapper, crisp packet or sandwich bag. Our bin men only empty bins they won't pick up any loose litter.

YANBU. Our house is an end terrace and somehow we end up with everyone's rubbish on our front garden.

I've given up and just kick it to the road now.

We also end up with random recycling boxes and caddies that the binmen don't know who belong to. I put them on the pavement.

I'm not sure why I'm expected to clean up after everyone because they won't put the net on their recycling boxes to stop their plastics and papers blowing away?

*has seriously affected (typo)

I would have picked it up popped it in the bin and washed my hands.

I suspect most people are going to ignore the fact that OP has OCD.

You refer to we and our OP, could whoever you live with pick it up and put it in the bin?

I don’t think they’ll collect it OP. Can you at least pick it up with a stick and put it in the bin.

Sorry if my first post was harsh, people on here often describe themselves as OCD when they don’t mean anything of the kind. The refuse collectors will not pick up random bits of rubbish though, it’s not their job and it’s not reasonable to expect them to. Who is the ‘we’ in your post? Can the people you live with not deal with this sort of thing for you?

I can only imagine how difficult OCD must be at the moment, hope you're managing okay and that asking for perspective helps.

This!

If the bin men don't pick it up (which mine wouldn't) please pick it up, put it in the bin and then wash your hands. Don't give it any more thought Op.

There really are some horrible people here.

I have OCD too. I still would have picked it up and then just washed my hands.