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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The Bin man who was sacked for kicking the head off the Snowman.....

405 replies

TheQueef · 31/01/2021 13:27

Would you have reported?
I'm not a fan of reporting for reporting sake so this has shocked me.
Just what outcome was expected by sending footage to his bosses?

YABU = he deserves to lose his job.
YANBU = it's batshit he kicked a snowman.

Soz if there has been a thread already.

OP posts:
funinthesun19 · 31/01/2021 16:27

Then he went back for more! I know teenagers who are more mature than him!

LApprentiSorcier · 31/01/2021 16:29

Destroying someone elses work - what would be different if it was a flowerbed or something then?

A flowerbed wouldn't be on its way to turning into a puddle of water.

TriflePudding · 31/01/2021 16:29

I have zero sympathy to be honest, why should this man feel like he can behave like an absolute dickhead and not have to deal with any consequences?

His behaviour lead to him losing work- his own actions and then his refusal to apologise for those actions, that’s not on the people who reported him, or his bosses, that’s completely 100% his own fault.

Maybe it’s time he learned how to be a functioning member of society rather than a petty criminal? Hopefully seeing that actions have consequences might actually teach him a lesson.

Pluckedpencil · 31/01/2021 16:29

We are all responsible for our actions. If you do something dickish on work time, you can expect that to get back to your boss. And if you don't apologise for being a dick, you are an even bigger dick and can expect to lose your job.

whatisthislifesofullofcare · 31/01/2021 16:31

I wonder how many folk who can excuse the recent EU ‘mistake’, those who virtue signal their appreciation for key workers, can even find it within themselves to consider just for a moment what could have been going on for the binman before condemning him?

Might he have worked through while we sat at home? Might he have a relative ill with covid? Might the camera have caught him actually being bullied by his superior and his actions were an unfortunate response to perhaps overwhelming stress?

I’m not saying any of these were in play, but neither can we make the various assumptions I’ve read on here, which seem to be driven by the same type of aggression as is being appropriated to him.

WhatsYourNameMan · 31/01/2021 16:31

I can't believe the posts defending this thuggish arsehole. Raise your standards of behaviour, seriously. Confused

LApprentiSorcier · 31/01/2021 16:31

what about the other charges against him where he was drunk and violent?

If he's being sacked because of his history of offences the council should say so. It's their fault people are on his side if they are using the snowman as an excuse/P.R. exercise to disguise their real motives.

FreshFancyFrogglette · 31/01/2021 16:33

"That sort of morals"... Grin hahaha

thedancingbear · 31/01/2021 16:33

Might he have worked through while we sat at home? Might he have a relative ill with covid? Might the camera have caught him actually being bullied by his superior and his actions were an unfortunate response to perhaps overwhelming stress?

Desperate.

Eleganz · 31/01/2021 16:34

@LApprentiSorcier

Destroying someone elses work - what would be different if it was a flowerbed or something then?

A flowerbed wouldn't be on its way to turning into a puddle of water.

I don't think the temporary nature of the snowman is really the defence you think it is. Just because something is temporary doesn't mean it is okay to destroy it.

Of course this isn't about property it is about behaviour. His actions in kicking the snowman, swearing at the supervisor and then going back and kick it load more times would be considered enough to get him sent off many sites that I have worked on that take a zero tolerance approach to horseplay like that and refusal to follow instructions. If he was behaving like that over a snowman how would he behave in a safety critical situation?

Arobase · 31/01/2021 16:36

This reminds me of that incident during the miners' strike when the police knocked over with their car a snowman the picketers had built. The picketers built another, and, sure enough, the police came back with their car and knocked it over again. Only this time, the picketers had built the snowman over an iron bollard. Grin

Maybe that's what this kid needs to do if there's any more snow.

Eleganz · 31/01/2021 16:37

@LApprentiSorcier

what about the other charges against him where he was drunk and violent?

If he's being sacked because of his history of offences the council should say so. It's their fault people are on his side if they are using the snowman as an excuse/P.R. exercise to disguise their real motives.

He isn't being sacked by the council because he isn't a council employee. The agency have been told that the council no longer require his services, probably because his behaviour while representing them brought them into disrepute and caused distress to some residents. That's all there this to it, completely justifiable. The fact that this idiot has form is just being brought up to show that this is hardly an isolated incident.
GlittercheeksOakleaf · 31/01/2021 16:37

Zero sympathy here. He brought the council into disrepute which would have consequences in private industries so it should here too.

He hasn't lost his means of earning, he's still employed by the agency (more fool them, he's a right thug by the sound of things) the council he was contracted the represent have said they don't want him back.

He needs to grow up.

Throwaway99 · 31/01/2021 16:40

Of course he shouldn't have lost his job. But he's 'just' a bin man so he doesn't matter does he? It's not surprising some on here are glad he lost his job.

Brunt0n · 31/01/2021 16:41

@Throwaway99

Of course he shouldn't have lost his job. But he's 'just' a bin man so he doesn't matter does he? It's not surprising some on here are glad he lost his job.
Why are you standing up for someone who sounds like a wee dick?
HibernatingTill2030 · 31/01/2021 16:41

I wouldn't have reported him. Snowmen are built, they melt or are kicked down. Not a big deal.

Littlepaws18 · 31/01/2021 16:44

He is being an absolute thug. There was no motivation for what he did other than destruction. Of something that wasn't his to smash. If this is how he makes decisions then I would definitely consider hiring him. I can't believe how many people have put this action down to 'silly behaviour' and vilified the people who reported it. He was unnecessarily aggressive and thought it was fun to smash up things.

He deserved what he got.

FixItUpChappie · 31/01/2021 16:52

I'm surprised at all the people feeling sorry for him tbh. If I were an employer who hired a temp/contract worker and he took the time out of his work to purposefully smash a snowman, in front of crying kid, then was rude to me, his employer, and refused to apologize I'd not have him back. Would any of you really??

It's not really about the snowman is it? Surely it's the fooling around on the job, generating a complaint to the company, lack of judgement, disrespect etc. Who knows either if he has form for being a shit hire anyway - The company aren't going to announce that on the news - that would be a private HR matter.

MercyBooth · 31/01/2021 16:53

@stripeyIIIIItscmsfkmf

Next time instead of reporting just rebuild the snowman but with a massive rock inside the head

Apparently during the miners strike, some police officers thought it would be fun to drive into a snowman that the miners kids had built.
They had built it around a concrete bollard!!

Throwaway99 · 31/01/2021 16:55

You can all moan about him being on benefits if the agency get rid of him.

AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken · 31/01/2021 16:56

@Throwaway99

Of course he shouldn't have lost his job. But he's 'just' a bin man so he doesn't matter does he? It's not surprising some on here are glad he lost his job.
Yep. The attitude of many seems to be “he knew the nature of agency work, that he’s completely at the mercy of the employer, with few employment protections so he should have been a good boy” Sickening really
lockeddownandcrazy · 31/01/2021 16:57

@Throwaway99

Of course he shouldn't have lost his job. But he's 'just' a bin man so he doesn't matter does he? It's not surprising some on here are glad he lost his job.
No one has said he is 'just a bin man' - I've posted its a secure job, others have said its essential.

The thread has been full praise for the bin men generally, just not stupidly destructive obnoxious idiots who can't behave in a decent way and bring their reputation down.

Brunt0n · 31/01/2021 16:59

@Throwaway99

You can all moan about him being on benefits if the agency get rid of him.
So we should let people get away with being bellends because the alternative is we have to pay their benefits?

Or he could learn from this mistake and make an honest living for the baby that’s on the way? I doubt he will but that would be the preferred option. Hope his gf is looking forward to the £7 a week maintenance out of his benefits 👍

Brunt0n · 31/01/2021 17:00

@AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken Apart from this he was charged with head butting bar staff and two police men. Why is anyone sticking up for this guy?!

Throwaway99 · 31/01/2021 17:01

Agency work is not a secure job. Anyway you can be all indignant taxpayer when he's a benefit scrounger.