To be hacked off to see Council employee rifling through our skip.

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

We have a skip atm so that we can clear out our spare room prior to builders replastering and decorating.

JUst looked out the window and saw a guy wearing a fluorescent vest, with the Council logo (think he works at the refuse depot up the road) going through the skip, taking stuff out and opening up the bags. I tapped on the window, he gave me the thumbs up and then sped off in his van carrying a 5 year old bottle of dh's aftershave.

I wouldn't ordinarily mind, but.... have cleared out my knackered, well-used maternity bras and other underwear, bagged it it in bin liners, and the guy has ripped open these bags so have my skanky knickers and bras festooning the skip.

I just feel that this is a bit much, particularly as he was in Council uniform, and now has had a good old root round my underwear. Have obviously gone out and tried to chuck that stuff back towards the bottom of the skip (was under a broken bed.

I am still fuming, but not sure whether this is because I am generally in a foul mood because have lousy cold, or whether am justified to feel a bit, well, violated!

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

I know, he really was completely unfazed. I do hope he doesn't get a rash from the aftershave, it was rather old.

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

Ah, but the stuff wasn't on the kerb. Was in a skip and so technically I think is still private property (either mine or of the skip company).

Again, am not cross with people taking easily accessible useful items. My knackered bras and knickers are not so easily accessible or useful and would have preferred not to have had them festooning the skip like rather sad Christmas decorations.

[moondog]

How utterly hilarious.
(The thumbs up and aftershave bit. What chutzpah!)

[kiskidee]

once you put stuff outside on the curb, you surrender your ownership rights to it. that is why the police can legally rifle through your rubbish if they felt they needed to.

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

Oh thanks for that link! Now I know what to do next time.
I should point out that as well as the 2 bags of knackered bras, knickers and my dh's out of date aftershave and my laddered tights, there was also a broken chest of drawers, a broken double bed, the remains of fitted wardrobes, bags of builder's rubble and the remains of a concrete path.
Also, a huge quantity of slates which we offered free to 4 roofers if they'd come and collect, but no one wanted them
We didn't get the skip just for my scanties.

[ohcomeALYefaithful]

There is an organisation that takes old bras, inc feeding ones.

Bra appeal

[bookofchristmascarolsmum]

Technically it's theft to take stuff from a skip since anything put in there belongs to the skip co. Skips tend to be fair game though - we had stuff lifted from ours a few years ago and that was on our driveway!

I wouldn't put clothes in a skip, why waste valuable space when they're designed for more bulky things?.

[milliec]

Message withdrawn

[mimi03]

id be pissed off! just as i would be if someone was having a rumage thro my wheely bin which has to be laft on the street every other thurs! im all for people reusing stuff but come on!

[Smithagain]

"what does one do with all the old knickers etc."

I put them in the Council's textile recycling bins. They sort the stuff that's put in there - some goes to charity shops, some goes overseas and the rest is shredded and recycled. I've always assumed old knickers etc would at least make it into the recycling process.

[pinetreedog]

ahh, the poker playing dogs! I always have a soft spot of the poker playing dogs.

A pretty tasteless male friends of mine used to have a sort of rug hanging thing on his wall of the poker playing dogs. Until he got the girlfriend who is now his wife.

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

Oh I agree, I don't mind scavenging generally. We have had all manner of interesting things taken since the building work began (sometimes stuff that shouldn't have been taken, like DH's bike in the back garden and building materials, grrr). We've also had some interesting additions to the skip overnight, including, and I kid you not, a painting of poker playing dogs.
Our old bath was left in the front garden to be taken away by the builder. He filled it with rubble, and someone came along and just tipped the rubble over our front path and took it away. Wasn't best pleased about the rubble being strewn around, but admired their strength of will.

[pinetreedog]

I quite admire scavenging.

I would also feel humiliated by someone raking through my skanky knicks and would vow to burn them in the back garden in future

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

I know! The cheek!
I don't mind people taking what they think they can reuse. That's fine, and not a problem at all. BUT.... opening tied bin bags and basically festooning a skip with my well past-it's- best- underwear?
Just seems a bit, personal.
And while I ordinarily give all old clothes to charity, I promise that no one would have wanted this stuff.

[SpikeandDru]

So what does one do with all the old knickers etc. A friend who works in a charity shop says that they just bin them if they come in - nobody will buy them. It only really leaves the bin for them.

Also - I know you are pissed off Pooka but I am still laughing at your description of the council employee giving you a "thumbs up" when you tapped on the window - talk about cheeky.

[mynameisnic]

repair, reuse, recycle etc. at least he wasn't taking your old knickers for his own personal use.

[MummyDoItUnderTheMistletoe]

I agree it's not nice to have your manky old undies on display but, on the whole, I'd have to say anything in a skip should be fair game for anyone. I'd much rather people helped themselves to anything I no longer wanted than have it end up in landfill. Particularly as your skip is on the street so it wasn't as though he were trespassing on your land. But I would feel if anyone saw my old underwear! (mummydoit makes mental note to incinerate old Bridget Jones style knickers instead of binning them).

[POOKAingwenceslaslookedout]

On the street, with a skip license and lights.
I felt really bad for binning them - but we had the extra space in the skip and would rather do that than put them through the normal refuse collection (we already have far too much rubbish). Honestly, no charity shop in the world would have wanted my feeding bras and maternity knickers! They were grey and very well worn.
Am feeling a bit more chilled about it now - but was outraged earlier, especially because he was still in his uniform! Just thought it was a bit bold as brass.

[AMerryScot]

Was the skip in the street or on your drive?

[Tortington]

can unerstand what you mean and completely sympathise with your scenario - however i do think if you had cloths to chuck away it seems like such a waste of skip space to do it.

and i do think that there is a rather nice culture of skip ravaging -