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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the bin men should have knocked on the door and apologised?

108 replies

Elderflower14 · 23/09/2020 11:15

We've been having lots of problems with our bin collections... The last two times our black bin has been missed... We have to log it online..
Had to log it twice this time as it missed the first time. Went out this morning withy NDN blackberrying.. Mum was at home.. Came home to find our over the road neighbour coming out looking shocked. Evidently the bin lorry came when neighbours wife was in the garden. The lorry picked up the bin and tipped the rubbish in, not only that the bin went in and got crushed...
I only knew because my neighbour told me... As my Mum said we would have wondered what had happened to it..!
I've rung the council up and ordered a new bin. I did also say that it would have been courteous for them to ring the bell and explain what had happened to Mum... AIBU??

OP posts:
isadorapolly · 23/09/2020 12:43

Sometimes the bins get stuck, it’s happened to us and they gave us a new bin. If they can’t get them off they have to crush them.

rs2015 · 23/09/2020 12:44

This has happened to me too. Caught the binmen on our cctv throw my recycling bin into the dustcart 😡

SorryImKnew · 23/09/2020 12:44

This is a case for your MP Wink

I'm joking. See my other thread today re contacting my MP (which you must NEVER DO according to MN).

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 23/09/2020 12:50

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

LannieDuck · 23/09/2020 13:01

Yep, it's happened to me too. Came home from work one day, and no bin. Wandered up and down the road, still couldn't find it. No note, nothing. Eventually ordered a new one from council.

A few weeks later, spotted the bin men with a bin caught in the mechanism of their lorry, figure that's what must have happened to ours.

I also find it shockingly rude that they don't tell the homeowners what's happened. They don't need to knock and wait if they're low on time, they just need a stack of pre-printed leaflets in the cab that they can drop one through the letterbox.

They're fast enough to drop a leaflet if I put the wrong thing in the wrong bin, so why not also when they break my bin? Grr... I'm getting angry about it all over again.

PigletJohn · 23/09/2020 13:03

I'm pretty sure "blackberrying" was used as a cover by Polly Garter.

bornninthe80s · 23/09/2020 13:03

This happened to us - I was showing my toddler the truck when in it went! No apology for us either, I ran after them and they said to ring the council.

Badbadbunny · 23/09/2020 13:06

@TheQueef

Are you sure the bin has gone? It can't fall in it hooks on the lift.
They can fall in. I saw it happen to our neighbour's bin. Same happened. Bin men didn't leave a note nor report it etc. Neighbour phoned up to ask for a new one and council told her she'd have to pay as "bins don't fall in wagons" so it must have been stolen. It was only when I intervened to confirm I witnessed it that they relented. If the bin men had reported it, it would have saved a lot of hassle!
OhBollockingBalls · 23/09/2020 13:06

It's happened to my bin about a year ago. The binmen knocked on my door and told me though and I didn't have to pay for a new one.

PolytheneHam · 23/09/2020 13:11

It absolutely is possible for the bin to fall in and be crushed. It happened with our recycling bin a few years ago. The bin men did knock to let me know on this occasion, and suggested I called the council. I was given a new bin free of charge, although it did take a number of weeks to arrive.

Antonin · 23/09/2020 13:17

Our black bin’s lid was broken off when it was emptied.we called the council and someone came out and fitted a new one. Seems the system allows for accidents/wear and tear and these are remedied without argument.

nosswith · 23/09/2020 13:21

I would not want refuse collectors (aka bin men or women) knocking on anyone's door in the present Covid 19 pandemic. For their sakes as well as the person whose house they would knock on.

Derekhello · 23/09/2020 13:23

Sorry to break it to you I had to wait 5 weeks for a new one when a wheel fell off mine 😂
Bin men took it away. Got a shiny new one though, which is today full of maggots 😔 Sad times. Hope your neighbour gets over the shock soon Hmm Grin

chrislilleyswig · 23/09/2020 13:31

Minimising contact means they won't be going knocking on anyone's door

You know about it and you'll get a replacement

Nothing to see here

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 23/09/2020 13:47

@Hwory

At my council when that happens (and yes PP's it can happen) the bin workers will report it and order you a new bin so you don't have to pay for one.
Yep, it can happen. Our council gets refuse collectors to take away damaged wheelie bins this way.
SoftMick · 23/09/2020 13:52

@Nikori

I was going to say, I can only imagine the absolute hysteria if a binman knocked on a MNer's door at the moment. It sounds like you'll get a new one no problem, so that's good.
This being MN, regardless of Coronavirus, the knockee would immediately log it with 101, fire off a diagram of where the bin lorry was parked at the time, and then post in a panic worrying that the binman may be knocking to come in and use the toilet.
Jaxhog · 23/09/2020 13:56

I googled it, as I didn't believe they could crush them. But it's true. Even worse, 4 or 5 homeless people get crushed every year too, when they sleep in bins (mainly commercial recycling bins) Yikes!

goingtotown · 23/09/2020 14:12

The neighbour has got the bin.

Land0r · 23/09/2020 14:21

We had the same with our green box (for paper, cardboard etc). I emailed the council and was asked to check the whole street in case it had been left elsewhere. Did that, emailed them again to say it wasn't there and they replied that one of the recycling crew remembered it going into the back of the lorry.

All sorted very quickly and they dropped off a new box within 24 hours.

Original poster
Elderflower14 · 23/09/2020 14:21

@goingtotown Absolutely zero chance of that happening... Hmm

OP posts:
Coffeecak3 · 23/09/2020 14:25

Our bin went missing, dh rang the council and they said yes, bin men have recorded it as going in the cart. We got a new one 4 days later.

Abitofalark · 23/09/2020 14:28

My next door neighbours put a thank you notice up to thank the bin men. This was at the time when we used to clap to thank the NHS workers. So thanking the bin men was in line with the spirit of the time.

Biscuitsdisappear · 23/09/2020 14:49

If my bin men had missed my bin on the last collection then I would have been sat outside the front door waiting for them.

Original poster
Elderflower14 · 23/09/2020 14:53

@Biscuitsdisappear Unfortunately I don't have time to do that!

OP posts:
1forAll74 · 23/09/2020 14:54

I thought this was quite funny really, a now sad and hurt wheelie bin, but I am sure it has been noted, and you will get a brand new bin soon. It probably gave the people down at the bin and rubbish depot a laugh anyway.