To be thoroughly fed up with the jobsworth bin men?

[cheeseisnice]

Fully prepared to be told I'm unreasonable here, but here goes...

A month ago I put my silver recycling wheelie bin out for collection. When I returned later in the day, everyone's bins had been emptied except mine. There was a label attached to the handle saying they didn't empty my bin because there was wood in there. It was a small bit of wood probably about 20cm square. I was annoyed, but thought 'okay, fair enough' and removed said piece of wood.
Two weeks later I put my recycling bin out again. It's full to tell brim with last collection's rubbish (sans wood) and as I've since accrued another two weeks of recycling there were 4 silver bags of recycling sitting next to the bin.
Again they've not collected! Argh. Why? The stupid label says 'we couldn't collect today because your waste is in black bags'. It's fucking not...they're silver bags. And they're only there because you were too precious to remove a bit of wood last month and empty the bin. I've called the council and they basically say tough.
Am I unreasonable to think they just have it in for me or something?

YABVU. They’re not jobsworths just because they’re following the rules.

Sort your rubbish correctly and they’ll take it for you. It really is that simple.

What are silver bags?

Are your silver bags clear as in see through ? If not that's why they haven't taken them because they should be clear bags. YABVU to call them dicks for doing their job and following the rules in carrying out their duty.
People in general should value their refuse collectors especially right now when they are so short staffed and quite poorly paid.
If you adhered to rules you wouldn't be in this predicament.

I know the wood was a problem and removed it. Can someone just explain to me why the bins wasn't emptied this week though? Anyone? Because the council couldn't explain why either.

I know this is AIBU and people use it as a board to be knobheads for no good reason, that's fine. I expected a blood bath. 😆 If people RTFT they'd know I'm a public servant, so I've no idea why I'm being called entitled for thinking a public serving should just do their job.

Thanks to the posters who aren't having a bad day though. x

Wood is recyclable when collected on its own but not with normal dry mixed recycling, the machines couldn’t pick it out which would lead to contamination.

The bin men empty 100s of bins a day, if they had to pick stuff out of each one it would add hours to their day.

Is wood actually on the list of things your council will accept for recycling?

Are silver bags a council specific item?

The only time we've had a problem was with our old council. We had a food waste bin and their website said that cut flowers could go in the bin. Our bin wasn't collected due to "garden waste" in our bin. We didn't have a garden and they were the permitted cut flowers. They ended up collecting the bin and also giving me a new bin as the old one was too disgusting once it was finally collected.

They don't have time to faff around with extra bags - they're not recyclable so they would have had to open and empty them.

Leave them a decent tip at Christmas and they might turn a blind eye to the odd bit of wood next time 😃

When you say "silver" might others of us determine the colour as grey?

Hyacinth? Is that you?

@cheeseisnice

I know the wood was a problem and removed it. Can someone just explain to me why the bins wasn't emptied this week though? Anyone? Because the council couldn't explain why either.

I know this is AIBU and people use it as a board to be knobheads for no good reason, that's fine. I expected a blood bath. 😆 If people RTFT they'd know I'm a public servant, so I've no idea why I'm being called entitled for thinking a public serving should just do their job.

Thanks to the posters who aren't having a bad day though. x

Just say I think you've made an error, rather than call them jobsworths?

You as a public servant wouldn't like to be called a jobsworth, would you?

No one here can answer, you'll need to take it up with the council. Explain, you think that an error has been made. It'll get you further than ranting about them not removing the wood.

We have to put extra recycling in clear bags so that they can see it's not general waste.

@Justajot

Is wood actually on the list of things your council will accept for recycling?

Are silver bags a council specific item?

The only time we've had a problem was with our old council. We had a food waste bin and their website said that cut flowers could go in the bin. Our bin wasn't collected due to "garden waste" in our bin. We didn't have a garden and they were the permitted cut flowers. They ended up collecting the bin and also giving me a new bin as the old one was too disgusting once it was finally collected.

I don't think wood is, no. It was my mistake for just assuming and putting it on top of the bin. Hence it wasn't collected, which is kind of fair enough. Slightly annoying to have extra waste kicking about for a fortnight but not a big issue in the grand scheme of things. Silver bags are approved by the council for recycling. I just don't get why they didn't take the bin itself though, if the bags were a problem. And it's not like they overlooked my waste by accident. They attached a label saying I'd left black bags so they couldn't take my recycling.

Then there are posters saying I'm a 'pwincess' whatever tf that is. I'm entitled etc. I haven't spoken to the bin men to be rude or entitled towards them, so why are they refusing my waste? If I had been rude to them I think id give my bins a miss too if I was them.
And it's not entitled to expect a bloody bin man and collect your bins.

Thank you for your understanding and helpful response though, and for not being a dick to me about it all. xx

@SummerHouse

When you say "silver" might others of us determine the colour as grey?

Hyacinth? Is that you?

Haha, I say 'silver' because that's what the council call the bin and bags. 'Your silver bin collection is on xxx date' etc. I'd say it's grey really.

I always used to tip our bin men well at Christmas - no longer. For me a tip is a thank you for work well done, not a bribe in the hope that they'll do their job in future.

Love it if you have bronze, silver and gold bins. So glamorous!

I think if it was me, I would do my absolute best to take the bin. I am a civil servant and we have a really shite form we have to ask colleagues to fill out even though we have access to the information. I fill it out myself. I would have taken your bins.

Obviously the nice thing to do would have been for them to empty the bin and just leave the bags, but I guess with encountering issues two times in a row they weren't feeling generous.
When I moved house we inherited two green bins, both stuffed full courtesy of our predecessors. Both bins were emptied. The following time I filled one bin and placed it at the end of the drive. The empty bin was at the top of the drive. They pulled out the empty bin then left the full one. No note, nothing. I called the council and we'd had a 'red tag' put on for having 2 bins. I explained I'd only used one and said tag was removed. Spare bin is now hidden in back garden. Still kills me that they went past the correctly presented bin to penalise me for having an empty bloody bin in sight of the pavement.
Actually I think I should have posted this on the petty stuff that still annoys you thread 😅

We are allowed to put small bits of wood in our green/ garden/ compost able wheelie bin. Not in the recycling sacks though.

We don't have large bins for general waste. We still have black bags. We always used to put the black sacks on top of the garden bin the night before so that the foxes didn't rip them open. Nope that's not allowed- they have to be on the floor as the bin men are not allowed to lift them from the bin ( chest height)🙄 no idea why...

It's worth ringing the council and not hanging up until they've given a resolution. Not an explanation.. a resolution i.e. collecting your recycling!!!

I had a very circular conversation once but sorted it by saying politely over and over "so when will the recycling be collected? What sort of bags should it be in? Where should I put the bags? " and reciting the whole list of instructions back and saying " so can you check I've understood correctly..." and thanking them effusively for their help..! Broken record technique plus extreme politeness!

Husbands a bin man, he empties approx 2500 bins per day (soon to be more when the new estates are built) walks miles constantly between 6.30 and 2.30 whatever the weather or even pandemic. Hes been called all the names under the sun, hit twice by cars, covered in baby shit from exploding nappies, bitten by countless dogs and stinks of cat piss when he gets home (its not cat piss thats just to give you an idea of the smell of his uniform). Hes currently on waiting on a 2nd knee replacement. He wont pick your rubbish out your bin coz thats your job to sort it not his as he's busy enough already without micro managing everyones bins. Several of his colleagues have been stuck with needles, cut with glass etc which is why they wont put their hands in your bin. That said hes been doing this job for 20+ years and has built up friendships with many residents. So please be nice to your bin men coz one of your bin men could be my husband.

@Isolemnlyscare I know exactly what you mean my husbands just recently left municipal waste as a driver and moved over to the trade waste. People really don't realise how hard these crews work and the daily abuse they receive and not just verbal abuse either. I hope your husbands knee op goes well

@Isolemnlyscare

Husbands a bin man, he empties approx 2500 bins per day (soon to be more when the new estates are built) walks miles constantly between 6.30 and 2.30 whatever the weather or even pandemic. Hes been called all the names under the sun, hit twice by cars, covered in baby shit from exploding nappies, bitten by countless dogs and stinks of cat piss when he gets home (its not cat piss thats just to give you an idea of the smell of his uniform). Hes currently on waiting on a 2nd knee replacement. He wont pick your rubbish out your bin coz thats your job to sort it not his as he's busy enough already without micro managing everyones bins. Several of his colleagues have been stuck with needles, cut with glass etc which is why they wont put their hands in your bin. That said hes been doing this job for 20+ years and has built up friendships with many residents. So please be nice to your bin men coz one of your bin men could be my husband.

Your poor husband. I'd always be polite to anyone doing his job, always. I haven't seen our bin men to ask what I did wrong this week, but if I had I'd approach them with the same courtesy I expect from others in my own demanding, public facing, underpaid, under appreciate line of work.

@Isolemnlyscare

Husbands a bin man, he empties approx 2500 bins per day (soon to be more when the new estates are built) walks miles constantly between 6.30 and 2.30 whatever the weather or even pandemic. Hes been called all the names under the sun, hit twice by cars, covered in baby shit from exploding nappies, bitten by countless dogs and stinks of cat piss when he gets home (its not cat piss thats just to give you an idea of the smell of his uniform). Hes currently on waiting on a 2nd knee replacement. He wont pick your rubbish out your bin coz thats your job to sort it not his as he's busy enough already without micro managing everyones bins. Several of his colleagues have been stuck with needles, cut with glass etc which is why they wont put their hands in your bin. That said hes been doing this job for 20+ years and has built up friendships with many residents. So please be nice to your bin men coz one of your bin men could be my husband.

She has already removed the offending piece of wood and admitted that was her misunderstanding what else is she to do to get the bin empty 🤔

@Isolemnlyscare

Husbands a bin man, he empties approx 2500 bins per day (soon to be more when the new estates are built) walks miles constantly between 6.30 and 2.30 whatever the weather or even pandemic. Hes been called all the names under the sun, hit twice by cars, covered in baby shit from exploding nappies, bitten by countless dogs and stinks of cat piss when he gets home (its not cat piss thats just to give you an idea of the smell of his uniform). Hes currently on waiting on a 2nd knee replacement. He wont pick your rubbish out your bin coz thats your job to sort it not his as he's busy enough already without micro managing everyones bins. Several of his colleagues have been stuck with needles, cut with glass etc which is why they wont put their hands in your bin. That said hes been doing this job for 20+ years and has built up friendships with many residents. So please be nice to your bin men coz one of your bin men could be my husband.

I've no doubt you're being 100% truthful!

I personally treat the bin men with the upmost respect! See my previous posts.

Are you in Cheshire East, OP?

Then there are posters saying I'm a 'pwincess' whatever tf that is. I'm entitled etc. I haven't spoken to the bin men to be rude or entitled towards them, so why are they refusing my waste? If I had been rude to them I think id give my bins a miss too if I was them.
And it's not entitled to expect a bloody bin man and collect your bins.

That was me pwincess. It is entitled of you to expect them to sort your rubbish. Just because they collect rubbish they are not there to sort it.

You are a public servant too? Then you won’t mind if a horde of us come to your place of work and expect you to wipe our nethers. You said it was your job after all.

Isn’t that part of our taxes?

I’m not having a bad day. Just that it is out of order calling people dicks and jobsworths because they did their job. 🤷‍♀️

He started at 6.30 yesterday and didnt finish till 5 (garden rubbish week) and was in bed for 6.30. Kids only saw him for 30 minutes by the time he had a much needed shower and something to eat. But its a job and it pays the bills. He actually came home early today coz hes got a massive blister on his foot and it burst, he was going to show me but thats one image i dont need in my brain