To hate people leaving stuff on their front walls?

[blessedbethe]

It’s a prolific problem where I live in an urban area in Bristol. People seem to leave stuff they no longer want on their front wall - sometimes people take it, sometimes it’s genuinely rubbish and they’re waiting for someone else to pay to get it taken away! Can range from shoes and clothes to household appliances and it happens all year round, and things get left out that have been in rain/snow etc.

Walking DS back from school I saw a toaster, 2 used (I’m assuming) gas canisters, various pairs of shoes and ladies clothing, kids snowsuit, metal water bottle. One house near us has had a toddler bed dismantled and propped up against their front wall for 3 weeks now, which has not been taken by anyone and is now warped and unusable. Makes me angry as a charity could have used that for a child in need and now it’s too warped/misshapen from the wet to be used! I just think people should take responsibility of disposing of or donating their stuff!

YABU - let people do it, someone will always want something that’s put out.
YANBU - it’s lazy and irresponsible and people should get rid of their stuff responsibly!

Never seen this happen where I live @blessedbethe

Some of the clothing, the water bottle etc might well be dropped items that are left on the wall in case the owner comes back

Here the metal items would be quickly taken by the tat men.

The bed might have been offered to charity already but couldn't be taken because of condition. They are very specific on what they can take.

Quite the done thing around me and I do it myself.

Nearly everything goes within a couple of hours and if it's still there the next day we bring it in and dispose of it.

It's heartbreaking when you see how much useable stuff in lovely condition is dumped in the general waste skips at the "recycling" centre.

This sometimes happens in my area and I think it’s a nice thing. People do need to be responsible about it though and take things in if they’re going to get damaged. This way of free recycling works well when it’s done right, but like most things, it can be spoiled by a minority.

Perfect recycling...it happens here in North Somerset...one person's junk is another person's "I was bloody looking for one of them". At the end of the day the shite left gets binned but someone might be happy

I used to walk through bedminster Bristol and every school holidays 3 kids had a table selling stuff on a back street...old videos, toys, some clothes they'd grown out of. I always bought something just to encourage their business....I ended up with a great video one time called goals of the 80s!! So everyone was happy

I am in Bristol as well and it is very common. There is often an accompanying Facebook post saying up for grabs outside of number x on y Street,

Definitely majority is left outside purposefully for others to help themselves

This is very common where I am and works brilliantly.

I was pissed off when someone took the plastic storage box I’d used to leave stuff out in though!

I see this sometimes in my area and I think it's great, as long as the person disposes of it if it's not taken.

I also see a few FB posts in local groups, giving people the heads up.

It’s common where I live and the stuff goes within a couple of hours. I think it’s community-minded. Not dismantled toddler beds left out in the rain for days in end, though.

It's quite common here too but it's either metal for the rag and bone man or stuff in decent condition that others can reuse. Can't get worked up about it. We've done it with kids books / toys. Wouldn't leave anything out in the road though

Any metal around here goes in no time, sometimes even from your garden as well as the front wall. I've put a couple of items outside, not really suited to charity shops, but they were in very good condition and both vanished the same day. What bugs me are the people who dump broken plastic items with a note saying free when it's just rubbish no one will be interested in- they just don't want to pay for removal or can't be bothered to break it up for the bin

We do it all the time. Everything gets taken within the day it's left out.

I think this is my main bug bear! If it goes then fine, but leaving it out in the rain or not properly disposing of things seems to be most common here.

I appreciate those who say they do it and things go. My issue is when things have been left out clearly for days if not weeks, or if it’s poor quality/broken stuff - surely they know it’s not going to be taken at that point?

I like it, as long as it is not left out for days. I've picked up a few things over the years, grateful they weren't being immediately binned.

We'd left a large non-functioning TV right at the back of our drive, pending a trip to the tip, and someone took it!

But I agree, tat left out, or stuff getting ruined in the rain (and still not being properly disposed of) is a problem.

I've heard it called middle class fly tipping 😂

I've done it, but the OP kind of makes it clear why some people don't approve of it's got the potential to escalate!

I’ve seen it once or twice. Didn’t particularly bother me; my only reflection was that it looked a mess.

Also in Bristol - we have a ‘freebies in …’ Facebook group locally to rehome unwanted stuff but folk that say ‘yes please’ are almost invariably a PITA about collecting. I can totally understand why people just put it outside.

I was for a short time staying at my mother's house before moving abroad. I put an ancient sewing machine on her wall, ready to load into my car, to take to the skip. When I saw that it had gone I put the instruction booklet (wrapped in plastic) out and that went as well. I call this "proper recycling" and hope someone enjoyed it.

I’ve seen it a few times, always with a sign saying it’s up for grabs but it’s not common where I live. As long as people remove it after a short while if no one takes it, I think it’s a good idea. I always thought when people get a skip they should separate anything that can be reused so people know it’s good. People often take things from skips assuming they’re “perfectly good” but they often actually aren’t.

I do this when I'm having a clear out and find things I think someone might make use of the plan is I will take anything still there at the weekend to the tip, but nothings ever been left after a couple of days - it's usually gone in a couple of hours

I like the idea that these things get used rather than just going to landfill

I'm all for it IF the stuff is taken, however if its left for days and in all weather's then no its a joke so I haven't voted as I agree and disagree.

Very common where I am and it goes on to FB or WhatsApp too

It used to be that the local council would take up to three big items for £35 so if you couldn't get to the dump you had a way of shifting stuff. Last time I called they tried quite hard to talk me out of it so it's no wonder people dump crap on the streets. They won't let commercial vans into the tip, no taxi will take stuff and if you don't drive then that only leaves special disposal companies- my last run cost £150 which not everyone can afford.

I've got some great stuff this way. Sometimes exactly what I was looking for, almost as if the universe was listening lol.

I don't disagree thought about it being the right kind of thing and also being taken back in and disposed of properly if not taken.