To think the bloke who told me off for taking grit out of the grit bin should fuck off

[Birdbox181]

This morning, I had to get my elderly neighbour to a hospital appointment. She has bone cancer in both hips. Her drive way was very slippery this morning. A fall for her could be fatal. She's on crutches.

I drove to the nearest grit bin I could find, filled a bag for life, probably a quarter full and put it down on her front door step, drive way and the pavement outside her property.

As I was putting it into my bag a bloke stopped and reprimanded me, telling me it's not for private use. I explained the situation and but he wasn't interested.

What an absolute cock.

I had no idea it wasn't for public use! What is it for then? Grit lorries don't come down my road so why are there grit bins? It's been decades since I've used one but growing up in 90s everyone went to the grit bin and worked together to do the pavements and drives etc. has it changed?

Where I live we have neighbourhood volunteers who can go and get salt from the containers to use where needed.
Technically I assume it's just for the public footpath but I don't see a problem with this.

our local council instal grit bins if you ask them but you have to have an organised neighbour committee group for it be approved, perhaps that one was for the local neighbourhood that organised it. Maybe that's why the person was arsey. Seems a bit mean spirited I suppose.

I don't know what kind of community you live in but taking grit to help a vulnerable neighbour would be seen as very much within the spirit of the rules where I live.

It hardly helps the public purse if this lady slips and requires an ambulance and hospital stay.

I would have been a bit at someone driving up to a grit bin too, but I would never have said anything. I used some from my nearest one (within walking distance) for the public footpath between our street and the main road. I don't think any of the neighbours have used it for a driveway but I can see why you did in the circumstances.

It’s for anyone to use on the roads and pavements but not for private drives as it’s your own responsibility up to your boundary with the road/ pavement.

We used a tub of table salt on the path and drive. Did the job, although the actual rock salt etc is probably more effective.

Technically the bloke was right, I guess, but the main thing is that your neighbour could get out of her house.

I don't think it's meant for people to do their own driveways and steps - it's for public footpaths. If you were using it on a public space that would've been fine.

How far away was it from your neighbour's house?

That was meant to be in response to the user who deleted their post

He’s right but I can see why you did it in an emergency - get your neighbour a bag of salt for her use going forward as this won’t be the last freeze this winter 😊

I mean technically he's right, it's not for private use. I buy rock salt for my driveway. He sounds like an arse though given the circumstances.

His issue was that I was using it on private property. Now I always thought they were just for anyone to use, I've never used it before today but that's just what I assumed.

I didn't tell him he was wrong, I just explained why I needed to take some. He told me I should buy my own! I said it wasn't for me, my neighbour can't buy her own.

OP did use it on the pavement too

It was the nearest one, about 3 streets away.

We used dishwasher salt. Maybe just buy some salt/grit/whatever for her to have to hand for next time?

What a mean spirited cunt he sounds

You don't need his permission or approval to go about your business, you know what you were doing and what your intentions where and you don't need to explain yourself to him.

It isnintended for use on public roads and footpaths not private gardens or driveways. I can see why he said something if you've driven a distance to take some to do a driveway or path in someone's garden. If everyone did that there wouldn't be any left in the grit bin for people to use on the roads and pavements where they live.
I don't understand why people don't just buy deicing salt for home use. You can get it in sizes ranging from a ikg tub up to a 25kg sack and it is cheap. We just buy some at the start of winter. It is available everywhere. Petrol stations. DiY stores, supermarkets etc.

If people care about this then they need to get a life.

Yes, I'm going to order some off amazon, just for her to keep in her front porch for next time. She's only going out for hospital appointments now so chances are the freeze will be gone by her next one, still handy to have available though.

It is for private use and he is a dick

I mean, he's not wrong. Grit in public grit bins is for use on public paths, not for randomers to drive 3 streets over to put it down on private property.

It's a dickhead move to have a go at you under the circumstances, but driving around to find grit is a bit on the cheeky side.

Really though? Can you really see why he said something? Everyone doesn't take it because everyone doesn't need it. It's not as if everyone else is having to buy their own, they don't, they just manage without because falling over wouldn't break both legs instantly and cause an excruciatingly painful death.

I've never ever seen anyone using them around d here.