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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed about being asked to pick up poo?

229 replies

WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 13:15

I'm going to start this by saying - I did do it. I'm annoyed at myself, but I was a bit stunned.
I was walking along with my dog, earphones in. A woman with a pushchair was walking along the same path, walking towards us.
She pointed at some poo on the floor and said something to me, which I didn’t hear as I had my earphones in. I assumed she was asking if it was my dogs poo, so I just said no. I took out an earphone and she said ‘have you got a poo bag? will you pick it up? I hate it when people leave poo’
I was a bit shocked so just picked it up and said ‘yeah, me too’ but afterwards I was like ‘wtf?!’
In hindsight, I should have just given her a bag to pick it up if she’s so bothered by it!
I pick up my dogs poo, and I happily do it, because that is MY job! It’s not my job to pick up other peoples dog poo, it’s bloody gross!
It would be like me pointing to a dirty nappy on the floor and expecting her to pick it up, just because she has a child with her.
Was she BU, or am I for being annoyed that she asked me to?

OP posts:
jtaeapa · 25/01/2023 16:13

I'm fine picking up my dog's shit, but I hate picking up random dog shit. You don't know if the dog has worms or a bacterial infection. If I have to pick up random dog shit (which I do if it's outside my house or my mum's house), then I will wear gloves. Filthy. I wouldn't have picked up the shit when asked by a randomer in a random place.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 25/01/2023 16:13

Trixiefirecracker · 25/01/2023 16:12

Why do people compare dogs to children? It’s absolutely not the same as asking someone to wipe a child’s arse! How bizarre! If she had said can you wipe the dog’s arse then maybe, possibly a bit closer! Bat-shittery at its finest. As a firmer nanny and nursery teacher I’ve had to wipe a lot of kid’s bums and can definitely tell you poo is poo, wherever it comes from.

Because both would be completely barmey!

TheFormidableMrsC · 25/01/2023 16:14

I would ask somebody for a bag if I saw they had a dog but I wouldn't expect them to clean it up. You want it cleaned up, do it yourself!

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 25/01/2023 16:16

Holly60 · 25/01/2023 16:12

I think this. She probably assumed (rightly) that you would have poo bags and hand sanitiser etc and that you were equipped to do something nice to stop children etc treading in poo.

I think she was right too

Show quote history

She could have done it herself. She was far from right

Original poster
WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:16

Cannot wait to start asking random people to do the stuff that bothers me in my area - yet can't lower myself to do myself - and call it being 'community minded'

OP posts:
Offensiveapprently · 25/01/2023 16:19

We used to live in terraced house, dog shit all up the street. One of my neighbours was obsessed with it being my dog despite the fact that I took my dog out via the back gate
My dog had been dead nearly three weeks snd she insisted that I come out and clear the shit up. I asked her if she could see ghosts as my dog was no more and handed her a role of 100 poo bags for her to use.
Tell her to fuck off if she tries again.

Windbeneathmybingowings · 25/01/2023 16:19

WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:16

Cannot wait to start asking random people to do the stuff that bothers me in my area - yet can't lower myself to do myself - and call it being 'community minded'

But you couldn’t lower yourself to do it either even though you pick up poo a lot.

This is why I said the only unreasonable one is the original owner who didn’t pick the poo up. Maybe they are weird about poo too but bought a dog anyway. Seems a theme.

Original poster
WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:22

But you couldn’t lower yourself to do it either even though you pick up poo a lot.*

I wouldn't have asked someone else to do it. If I felt that passionately about it, I would have asked for a bag from someone and done it myself.

OP posts:
OneTC · 25/01/2023 16:25

Just out of interest if your dog did do a runny shit would you clear it up?

Original poster
WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:28

OneTC · 25/01/2023 16:25

Just out of interest if your dog did do a runny shit would you clear it up?

Nah, I'd leave it for some random woman to push her buggy through.

Of course, because she is my dog, it would be my responsibility. I would still find it gross, and a lot worse than picking up her usual poo, but I am a responsible dog owner....to my dog.

OP posts:
Windbeneathmybingowings · 25/01/2023 16:31

What about fox poo? Or hedgehog poo? Those general aspects of dog owning? What if your dog jumped up on you covered in a poo they had rolled in. Be realistic, you’re experienced at touching poo. Maybe she isn’t and wanted the street to be a nicer place.

You have the skills required for the job but refused to use them 🤣

OnTheRoadAgain1 · 25/01/2023 16:33

Perhaps she didn't want to carry the poo bag near her child or assumed at one point you'd be going to the dog poo bin? Or that it wouldn't bother you if you had a dog?

I personally don't think she's done anything wrong. I definitely couldn't have been as bold as her but I'd be annoyed at myself for not thinking faster and handing over a bag. She asked you and you obliged, perhaps it's yourself you're more annoyed at?

Nocutenamesleft · 25/01/2023 16:37

WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 13:15

I'm going to start this by saying - I did do it. I'm annoyed at myself, but I was a bit stunned.
I was walking along with my dog, earphones in. A woman with a pushchair was walking along the same path, walking towards us.
She pointed at some poo on the floor and said something to me, which I didn’t hear as I had my earphones in. I assumed she was asking if it was my dogs poo, so I just said no. I took out an earphone and she said ‘have you got a poo bag? will you pick it up? I hate it when people leave poo’
I was a bit shocked so just picked it up and said ‘yeah, me too’ but afterwards I was like ‘wtf?!’
In hindsight, I should have just given her a bag to pick it up if she’s so bothered by it!
I pick up my dogs poo, and I happily do it, because that is MY job! It’s not my job to pick up other peoples dog poo, it’s bloody gross!
It would be like me pointing to a dirty nappy on the floor and expecting her to pick it up, just because she has a child with her.
Was she BU, or am I for being annoyed that she asked me to?

I don’t have a dog yet the other day I picked up 34 pieces of dog shit outside my house that appeared overnight. Fucking furious it was. I don’t have a dog so don’t have dog poo bags.

Original poster
WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:38

Windbeneathmybingowings · 25/01/2023 16:31

What about fox poo? Or hedgehog poo? Those general aspects of dog owning? What if your dog jumped up on you covered in a poo they had rolled in. Be realistic, you’re experienced at touching poo. Maybe she isn’t and wanted the street to be a nicer place.

You have the skills required for the job but refused to use them 🤣

Did you RTT?

I didn't refuse to 'use my skills' - I picked up the shit.

In hindsight I am annoyed at myself for not just giving her a bag so she could do it herself, seeing as she was so offended by it

OP posts:
Nocutenamesleft · 25/01/2023 16:38

However I did ask a lady for a dog poo bag and picked it up myself. When it’s happened before I’ve had people very kindly pick it up for me

Original poster
WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:39

OnTheRoadAgain1 · 25/01/2023 16:33

Perhaps she didn't want to carry the poo bag near her child or assumed at one point you'd be going to the dog poo bin? Or that it wouldn't bother you if you had a dog?

I personally don't think she's done anything wrong. I definitely couldn't have been as bold as her but I'd be annoyed at myself for not thinking faster and handing over a bag. She asked you and you obliged, perhaps it's yourself you're more annoyed at?

100% annoyed at myself for doing it, but I also think her ask was cheeky - I wouldn't dream of asking a smoker to pick up all the discarded cigarette butts in the immediate area

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 25/01/2023 16:39

Ten a penny she had nappy sacks in her bag if it bothered her that much.

MrsFrugal · 25/01/2023 16:39

WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 13:15

I'm going to start this by saying - I did do it. I'm annoyed at myself, but I was a bit stunned.
I was walking along with my dog, earphones in. A woman with a pushchair was walking along the same path, walking towards us.
She pointed at some poo on the floor and said something to me, which I didn’t hear as I had my earphones in. I assumed she was asking if it was my dogs poo, so I just said no. I took out an earphone and she said ‘have you got a poo bag? will you pick it up? I hate it when people leave poo’
I was a bit shocked so just picked it up and said ‘yeah, me too’ but afterwards I was like ‘wtf?!’
In hindsight, I should have just given her a bag to pick it up if she’s so bothered by it!
I pick up my dogs poo, and I happily do it, because that is MY job! It’s not my job to pick up other peoples dog poo, it’s bloody gross!
It would be like me pointing to a dirty nappy on the floor and expecting her to pick it up, just because she has a child with her.
Was she BU, or am I for being annoyed that she asked me to?

I am a dog owner myself and nothing gets my back up more than people who don't pick their dog cr** up. I don't think either of you are being unreasonable really, maybe she's never owned a dog and just thought you would be willing to do it as a poop is a poop! (I totally agree I can pick my own dogs up but another would make me gag), it was neither of your responsibility but the owner, however if you hadn't picked it up some poor sod would have stood in it.

Alici · 25/01/2023 16:46

At first I thought YABU. You clearly have a dog so picking up another dogs poo is the same as your own. Until you gave the child analogy and then I agreed with you. I would definitely care more if someone else's child shat on me than my own. I would also dislike cleaning up someone elses poo/wee/vom than my own kids. so YANBU

Windbeneathmybingowings · 25/01/2023 16:51

WFHbore2023 · 25/01/2023 16:39

100% annoyed at myself for doing it, but I also think her ask was cheeky - I wouldn't dream of asking a smoker to pick up all the discarded cigarette butts in the immediate area

Show quote history

I don’t think you get that there are people that do this who aren’t smokers. They are community litter pickers and volunteers and it’s really nice for the whole community and I’m grateful for my local group. They get free litter picking gear from the council. You could have phrased this as ‘I did a kind thing for the good of other people today’. Instead you are annoyed that she made you do it, rephrase your thinking and it wouldn’t have bothered you so much. You could have had a nice warm feeling inside instead of a resentful one. You pick up poo all day long anyway, think of this as a bonus one that could have come with a pat on the back instead of a snarl at the other lady.

ShippingForecastMeditator · 25/01/2023 17:04

Perhaps she thought you wouldn't mind being shit-picker-upper as it's something you already have to do regularly in your role as dog slave owner. Or maybe she thought it was left by your dog? Either way I'd have handed her a bag so she could do the job herself.

Andypandy799 · 25/01/2023 17:07

@WFHbore2023 I’m surprised by all the do gooders on here that we still see poo left in picked up. Obviously they don’t live where I live 🤣😂

Teridavis · 25/01/2023 17:09

Lmaoo that’s hilarious that you actually done it. I think this will be one of those things you will look back on for a long time and cringe about being so submissive. Should of picked it up and thrown it in her face for asking lol

TheShiningPup · 25/01/2023 17:11

You pick up poo all day long anyway

How often do you think dogs poo?

Pthagonal · 25/01/2023 17:18

Windbeneathmybingowings · 25/01/2023 16:31

What about fox poo? Or hedgehog poo? Those general aspects of dog owning? What if your dog jumped up on you covered in a poo they had rolled in. Be realistic, you’re experienced at touching poo. Maybe she isn’t and wanted the street to be a nicer place.

You have the skills required for the job but refused to use them 🤣

Believe it or not, not all dogs roll in another species poo. Dogs can also be trained not to jump up. Poo picking is not a skilled job, maybe try it some time?

I'm so glad I'm not the only person to retch if I have to pick up another dog's poo! I will pick up after another dog if it's been allowed to poo outside mine or my neighbours houses, or by the school I walk past, but that's as much as I can stomach.