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'm not sure why people are so convinced a man wouldn't confront another man about something like this. There is a reason men are actually more likely to be attacked than a women. They do confront each other about this type of thing.

I live rurally and there is a grit bin at the entrance of the close - we use it both for the road and to stop us breaking our necks on our paths - that is what is it for!!

No one died and made him guardian of the grit bin

Here, Northants, the grit bins have signs on saying the grit is not for private use. If you want to grit your drive you buy the stuff from B&Q or wherever. If everybody on this road took a bag for life full there's be nothing left to shovel onto the untreated road - which is what the stuff is there for.

However, in the circs you describe I'd cut you some slack.

OP, the whole world isn't going to agree with you. As a passerby I wouldn't care that you used it for the purpose you did, but your attitude in expecting full agreement from everyone isn't realistic. Just get on with your day.

This is where I stand.

But we could crowdfund & get him a t-shirt😁

It isn't for private use, and people are supposed to provide their own grit for their own private driveways etc. It's provided to grit public roads and highways only, and there's not enough of it available if everyone helps themselves to it for their private drives.

That said, in the situation you were in, assuming your neighbour had run out of grit, and you were too far away to go and get your own grit, then it's not unreasonable to use it as an emergency one-off measure.

I think it wasn't unreasonable for him to challenge you (since he wouldn't have known your specific situation at the time), but he should have left it once you'd explained about your infirm neighbour needing to get to hospital and that she'd run out of her own supply.

Now you know, it would be a good idea to either remind your neighbour that she needs to top up her own supply, or maybe, since you seem like a helpful neighbour, you can order some for her (perhaps when you're topping up your own personal supply).

My council says there has to be specific conditions met before they'll install a bin (Last time I asked, which was some years ago) and if I want to see the map of locations of grit bins I have to visit their grit depot to see the map there. I have never bothered as when it bothers me it's because we're iced in!

It did cross my mind that we could do a collection on the street to get a bin and fill it, but someone would have to take responsibility for it and I didn't have time back then - and just avoid going out until the weather improves. I work from home so it's not a huge priority for me.

Neighbour council says "nah we've got no money". A friend there has just asked and shared the feedback.

This is why people shouldn't interfere, because you never know the circumstances. Really good of you to look after your neighbour 🙂

Mean spirited of the guy who moaned at you given the circumstances. Council don’t come out on my road they leave bins in place which are currently empty….. the only time our street griped was when a neighbour used the whole bin on their own drive and left none for the road - we’re in a very steep slope so none of us could use the road. That was very selfish however Using some for a vulnerable neighbour seems fair.

I think this is a classic case of people having nothing better to do. I would be too busy with my own life to even notice this but if I did my only thought would be good for you helping a vulnerable person.

1 x Rock Salt Large Packs - Full Pallet
£306.26 delivered. That's 40 bags. Probably enough to do several winters for a big street.

I’d have done the same OP, but technically he’s right. We have a grit bin on an uphill bend here, its not on a school bus route so doesn’t get gritted, there’s a sign on the lid saying not for private use!

I’d get your neighbour a bag of her own - it’s cheap enough.

"Grit bin Gatekeeper"

People that help their elderly neighbours?

wow 😂

OP wasn't being 'greedy' ffs.

No good deed goes unpunished

Unless he happens to be a councillor then it's not his business. The need for your neighbour was genuine so just ignore him.

My mum lives in a hill there's a factory opposite her and so a grit bin was installed it's either empty or cars stop and the driver fills buckets in their boot nobody bats an eyelid.

Why do people keep suggesting one person doing this as a one off will suddenly start a chain reaction of every other person in the vicinity stealing grit for their own private use. We have grit bins either end of my road and I've never once used them. I have no pressing need and seeing someone else use them on their driveway wouldn't make me follow suit.

I see people saying why didn’t you just use salt but I thought salt damaged concrete. Maybe I’ve misunderstood🤔

Edited to add that you did a good thing. It was a one off. Ok maybe technically it’s not meant for her own private front door step but as you say, her bones are weaker from the cancer and a fall would be catastrophic for her.
pay no attention to the man. He was incredibly mean to not have empathy for what you were trying to do.

Technically it is only for use on the public roads etc, not for private use.
but I’m sure under the circumstances, with an elderly person, a small amount to make sure she didn’t slip over would’ve been overlooked…..but not if you’re filling up bags to take away.

This 'grit' is mostly rock salt, isn't it?

I haven't seen a grit bin since I was a child. Yanbu

I own a company that provides these to my local council along with other highways bits. If we or the council I supply to received this as a complaint from a member of the public we wouldn't bat an eyelid!