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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wish my neighbour wouldn't look in/put stuff in my bin?

52 replies

beansmum · 10/10/2008 10:05

It's not a big deal really but it is annoying me. Neither of us have much rubbish each week so my neighour always goes out (into my garden usually) to have a look in my bin and see if there is room for his stuff too, to save him putting his bin out half empty. I KNOW I shouldn't mind but I might have stuff in my bin that I don't want him to see, I don't use bin bags so it's all loose, I'm not sure what exactly but you never know. I probably wouldn't mind so much but he is generally a bit nosy/creepy anyway. Am I just going to have to put up with it?

OP posts:
kitbit · 10/10/2008 12:40

I know putting a whole bag into someone's bin is one thing, but would you mind if someone put in a small wrapper? I ask because I was walking along the road the other day and the bins were out for collection and there were no litter bins anywhere. ds had a sticky icecream wrapper so I popped it into the top of one of the bins along the road. I could even hear the binmen coming up behind (quite a distance, but wouldn't have been more than 10 mins away prob). I got a beady stare and a slow shake of the head from a face which suddenly popped up at the window. Did I really do a bad thing? Isn't that a bit overly terratorial?

LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough · 10/10/2008 12:41

Put a big piece of paper at the top of the bin (inside) with PISS OFF written on it

Seriously, YANBU but don't know what you could do.

LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough · 10/10/2008 12:45

Am suprised you don't have a lock on your back gate, get one. You don't need a padlock, just a bolt far enough down that you cannot reach by putting your hand over. Then again he may go and find a box to stand on,.... gosh, how scary! Get a padlock!

soultaken · 10/10/2008 12:48

Kitbit that is so funny. I have visions of someone putting their bin out on bin day and then parking themselves at the front room window to keep a guard on it Do it again next bin day, I'll bet you anything they'll glare again

alicet · 10/10/2008 12:51

pmsl at ladyofwaffle and 'piss off'!

kitbit can't believe some people have nothing better to do! Even though I am shocked at the odd behaviour of the man in this situation I certainly think bins are fair game once they are out to be collected - or certainly until they start charging by weight / quanitity anyway. Would he have preferred you to drop it in his garden?

themoon666 · 10/10/2008 12:54

Wonder why he thinks it a crime to put a half empty bin out. I put mine out some weeks with only 3 pedal bin sized bags in the bottom.

He's mad.

priceyp · 10/10/2008 12:58

Wouldn't be great if you could a bin sized one of these scare the crap out of him

BibiThree · 10/10/2008 12:59

Kitbit, not wrong at all! I have been known to give big approving smiles to the kids in the street for using our wheelie bin for their litter rather than just dumping it on the floor. Yes, they could take it into their houses and put it in their rubbish bins, but they're not going to are they? It's not like you were unloading your car boot into the bin is it?! Jeez!

mumof2222222222222222boys · 10/10/2008 12:59

Kit bit - agree daft. However, perhaps another perspective...

Our local paper had a n article about someone whose garden rubbish / food waste bin (complicated round here with 3 bins!) was left out for collection and someone put a cigarette packet in it. The council refused to take it - which is imo more than ridiculous. I think though that if that had happened to me, I might be a bit twitchy about people putting extras in my bin!

Neighbour sounds awful. YANBU.

alicet · 10/10/2008 13:00

pmsl priceyp!!!!! Now I'm going to spend the rest of my very productive day trying to work out how to booby trap the bin with that can

cupcakesinthesnow · 10/10/2008 14:22

Kitbit - I wouldnt have a problem with a wrapper in my bin and have done the same myself.

However, I once saw a woman who had 3 yorkshite terriers walking down our road. One pooed and she looked in a neighbours wheely bin, took out what looked like a wrapper, picked the poo up and chucked it back in the wheely bin! I hasten to add it really was a case of using the wrapper to pick the poo up but not actually wrap the poo up iyswim so neighbours bin would have had lose dog poo inside possibly scraped on sides etc.

cupcakesinthesnow · 10/10/2008 14:23

yorkshire not yorkshite, obvioulsy

Although, then again.....

Ripeberry · 10/10/2008 14:32

So you are telling me, a creepy man you don't like can come into your garden and put things in your bin and you think that's being neighbourly?
Eeeek! First of all because he is coming into YOUR garden and secondly he sounds like a weirdo.
Why can't you just put a lock or a bolt on the gate.
If he can get in, everyone will trooping in there.

wotulookinat · 10/10/2008 14:32

Kitbit, I wouldn't be bothered about a wrapper if it meant it wasn't on the road. Mind you, I am a nosy person so would probably have had a look as well!!

To the OP - YANBU. I think you should say something to him.Dunno what though! Or move your bin.

Original poster
beansmum · 10/10/2008 14:49

I have a bolt on my gate, on the outside though. Maybe I should move it to the inside? Maybe just telling him to leave my bin alone is the first thing to do though.

OP posts:
wotulookinat · 10/10/2008 14:50

Is there anywhere else you could move the bin to?

alicet · 10/10/2008 15:01

I don't see why you should have to move your bin to stop him from putting things in it!

3 choices as I see it.

1 - put up with it

2 - tell him you'd rather he doesn't put things into your bin until you have put it out for the bin men which means any space there is free for him to use

3 - put a lock on your gate

YANBU to be upset about this but I think you should either tell him (if he doesn't realise you're not happy and you have let him do this in the past how should he be expected to realise?) or make it impossible for him to do it.

alicet · 10/10/2008 15:02

tbh the fact he can get into the garden means anyone else who takes a fancy can too. So I would also be putting a lock on for that reason too!

barnsleybelle · 10/10/2008 15:05

YANBU.... I am very bin possessive!!

Original poster
beansmum · 10/10/2008 15:09

The garden isn't right next to the house so it's not really a security problem, I'm upstairs and my garden is to the side of the house with a footpath between the two. Creepy neighbour is downstairs and has the front and back gardens. I will ask him to wait until my bin is out before putting anything in. I wasn't sure if I was being strange, but it seems that everyone agrees with me!

OP posts:
wotulookinat · 10/10/2008 15:10

Alicet - wouldn't it be easier to move the bin than to put a lock on the inside of the gate?

MadamDeathstare · 10/10/2008 15:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bubbaluv · 10/10/2008 15:38

If he fills your bin, does he wheel it out for you on collection night or does he leave it for you to do?

themoon666 · 10/10/2008 18:24

Good point Bubba... tell him to wheel it out whilst is putting stuff in.

Milliways · 10/10/2008 18:51

Put cling film over the top, so his stuff bounces onto floor?

My neighbors came home & found a lorry had fly-tipped an entire load onto their lawn They had to get rid of it - council wouldn't touch it as on private land

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