I probably am. Go ahead and flame me. Someone is always taking things out of our recycling bin and I don't know how I feel about it.

[Jacksmama]

We live in a townhouse complex and the recycling collection comes every Weds so we put our blue bins out in the morning. And every Weds, this man comes around with a huge plastic trash sack and takes drink cans, glass, and plastic bottles out (the ones you can redeem for cash). He does it quite openly, and yet, if this makes sense, in a somewhat furtive manner. I've had my front door open and have been sat MNing at the computer in plain view and he started rummaging in our bin, then caught sight of me, started, and hurried off to the next set of bins. Even though I didn't say anything to him or even glared. (Really, I didn't.)

So I don't know how I feel about him doing this without asking us.

On one hand, we've put them out in the recycling bin. So, clearly, we're not going to bring them to the bottle depot for the little bit of cash we could get for them.

On the other hand, really, until the recycling truck comes by, we do own everything in the bin, so I'd quite have appreciated it if this man could have rung our bell and asked if it was all right for him to take the cans and bottles since we clearly didn't want them, or even have done this the day he saw me through the open front door at the computer.

Really - I don't mind, he's welcome to them, but I do wish he'd asked.

AIBU?

I just want to repeat that I don't really mind - I did say he's welcome to them. I think I probably phrased the question badly. Maybe I should have said, "Am I being unreasonable to wish that the man who comes and helps himself to redeemable recyclables from our bin would have just said "hey, I hope you don't mind I'm taking these since you don't seem to want them" when he saw me sat at the computer through the open front door".
Don't think that would have fit in the title though .

OK - I do see that it would be horrible for him to have to ask.

Thank you for setting me straight!

Blimey. I'm surprised that it bothers you, if I'm honest.

I'm always putting stuff on the front with a note on it asking someone to take it.

I do sort of understand why you think he should ask. But, ultimately, he's going through bins. Chances are he's a bit embarrassed.

i won't be bothered, if its outside for collection then its fair game, I have taken boxes from people's recycling. I even grabbed one from a man at the tip, coz I needed to post a large item

Ooops, cross posted

In the bin, leave him a lovely present, beautifully wrapped, and watch his expression when he opens it

Thats a bit OTT!!

I was thinking more along the lines of a boxing glove on a spring, jack in the box style as he lifts the lid! [evil laugh]

i wouldnt mind people taking my recycling to make money from it, but would feel uncomfy about someone coming into my front garden to do so, because of invasion of privacy :S

tinfoil - what kind of a present?

DH recently, after we had a ginormous party, put all the redeemable cans and bottles in a separate bag for him. I thought that was really nice. (DH is clearly kinder - or has more time - than I do, I usually manage to put out the rcycling minutes before the truck comes by.

Come on ladies get a grip ffs, one minute your not sure how you feel, then you are leaving him presents.

Be sensible here for gawd sake!

It's your recycling bin

that's like rubbish

you don't want it, it's getting recycled, he's making a tiny bit of cash. You are annoyed because he didn't ask?

YABU

and weird

Try putting a skip out front - man, those things get rifled within seconds.

One bloke I spotted coming up the drive looked like he'd kill ya as soon as look at ya....knocked on the door, which I answered, and in the most beautiful BBC accent said, "Excuse me Madam, sorry to trouble you but would you mind if I took the scrap metal from your skip? I'm a scrap metal merchant you see."

I made him a cup of tea

Hmm, personally I wouldn't give two hoots about him taking stuff from the bin, whether he'd asked or not.

Oddly though, I don't think you're alone jacksmama. At work recently we moved offices and put a load of stuff in a skip. Some people came past and loaded the metals into a truck. Went through it quite meticulously. I was amazed at the number of colleagues who were

One even said "I wouldn't mind if they'd asked".

So I don't think your question is at all unusual. But its not something which would bother me.

I can (and did) accept being unreasonable but why do you say I'm weird kat2907?

And PMSL at the "most beautiful BBC accent" from the scrap metal merchant!! LOL. I wonder what the Canadian equivalent would be. I'd have made him a cuppa too!

Oh just something he might not be expecting? Biscuits or wine? I must have been having a 'soft' moment and just thought that if he spends his time going through bins, maybe it would mean a lot to him that someone cared enough to think of him. He's probably used to people telling him to go away! Nice idea from your DH

But if you're not happy about him taking your rubbish then you could leave him a note or go and talk to him. That would be reasonable too.

Thanks tinfoil. Having thought about it (and repeatedly bowed to the MN Jury) I think I was just a little . It's good to get other people's point of view. I really don't mind him doing it, and having thought about it some more, I think if he had asked, both of us would have been embarrassed.
I think what I'll do in future is put everything redeemable in a separate box by the blue bin, saves him rummaging. If I have time...
My DH is a star though [smile}.

I really wouldnt advice leaving him presents in the bin, nothing wrong with helping the needy BUT there is a big difference in throwing some change into a hat of homeless person or a charity box as you pass.

BUT this guy knows where you live!

Was going to mention about skips but Doodlez got there first. Apparently, it's illegal to remove things from a skip unless you ask permission first.

Unfortunately the only skips we have had are so full of crap that people are more likely to donate, rather than remove items from it.

I won't leave presents but will separate the redeemables in future, if I have time.

I think that's quite a lovely resolution to an AIBU thread, Jacksmama.

Jacksmama - good on you for seeing sense!

Thank you. MN is good for that.