Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

dustbin men

30 replies

sweetaddict · 30/11/2007 14:17

What's the general thoughts on xmas gift for them? Do people still do this? Don't really wanna give cash but want to show appreciation as they are very sweet, ditto very good postie.
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
sophy · 30/11/2007 16:12

I would think traditional xmas tip would be appropriate, i.e. cash, but if you don't want to then in the past in similar situations we have given a case of beer to be shared.

DarrellRivers · 30/11/2007 16:17

i did this gift/cash thing last year for the binmen.
By jolly they cheered up, they were helpful already, now they appear at the slightest sign of trouble, help me lift heavy hanging baskets etc and chat whenever they see me.
Do it, it makes their job worthwhile, they are probably not in it for the love of rubbish.
I didn't give the postie a tip last year(bit grumpy), but he has been v helpful this year so I think i shall reward him.
Never know how much to give though

DarrellRivers · 30/11/2007 16:18

I always have to ask my mum, she is an expert in these sort of things.

bigspender30 · 30/11/2007 16:25

yes how much do you tip the binmen/postie?

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHands · 30/11/2007 16:26

Feck all.

I am tight.. poor.. and a social disgrace

ScottishMummy · 30/11/2007 16:31

the bin men- o aye those kind gents who strew debris on the pavement, leave the wheelie bin in middle of road, take items away if they are inclined. LOL they are getting SFA from me

Furball · 30/11/2007 16:36

I used to tip them £10, they were really friendly and always would wave to ds who used to loved watching them fom the window.

We've since moved, but also what about the reccycling guys and the garden waste collection guys, the list is endless.

cornsilk · 30/11/2007 16:39

Our binmen are lovely, really helpful and friendly and always do thumbs up at the kids who come out to have a look at the van. Furball - did you give £10 to share in an envelope or something?

SheepishPeachesMcLean · 30/11/2007 16:42

Tip the binmen?
You have bin men who do more than just collect bins?
You have the same postman all the time?

I don't understand any of these concepts.

cornsilk · 30/11/2007 16:43

I would rather tip the binmen than someone in a pub/restaurant/hairdresser 'cos they have a harder job.

DarrellRivers · 30/11/2007 16:45

My old London binmen and posties (never the same) were disgraceful.
Provincial services much better.
Never ever leave a mess( i used to often clean up after the binmen had been in London
Think i will go for £10 or £20 depending on how I feel closer to the time

ScottishMummy · 30/11/2007 16:46

me neither. the postie does not attempt delivery even when i am in, just "sorry" card through door so SFA for him too

blimey do you all live in quaintsville where the postie is jolly nice, and bin men happy chappies, and local shop keeper knows your name

SheepishPeachesMcLean · 30/11/2007 16:47

Oh God, what if they come round and ask? Our first Xmas in this house. Hope it's not a local tradition...

ScottishMummy · 30/11/2007 16:48

i am of course in london at the behest of numnut postie and bampot bin men. so yah boo nae money from me, not when i work out what council extort from me monthly

DarrellRivers · 30/11/2007 16:50

Seriously beats London hands down where I used to worry about getting caught in the local gun war , or being knifed on the way back from the tube
The provinces rule.
My postie ignored one of those you owe us £1.40 envelopes because it was a card for DD's birthday and my friend had forgotten to put a stamp on it.
And he posts my keys through the letter box when i leave them in the door (the whole night)

ScottishMummy · 30/11/2007 16:55

'tis true but also london daftness err vitality/vibrancy keeps me in a job. i have lived Sarf london and N London both emmm pacey and bin men are rotten. but not ready for provinces yet. i grew up in smalltownsville so i seriously love london bins, posties and all

TheBlonde · 30/11/2007 16:59

I don't do it
Last year some random came round in the afternoon claiming to be the binman and essentially asking for tips
I wished him a happy xmas

BroccoliSpears · 30/11/2007 17:11

So are people thinking that £10.00 is about right?

Would it be bad to give them a box of biscuits or similar instead?

I want to be nice to our lovely binmen at Christmas, but we're soooo skint.

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 30/11/2007 17:16

It always reminds me of the old joke.

Hello... extends handshake, I am the man who empties your bins.

Hello...extends handshake, I am the man who fills them.

Squirdle · 30/11/2007 18:06

My FIL used to leave a 4 pack of beer for the bin men at Christmas. I thought that was nice.

We had lovely binmen in London. We lived in a very narrow street and they were very courteous when they had to knock on the door to ask us to move the car/find out whose car was whose to get the lorry down, and they used to put the wheelie bin back in it's proper home. Don't know the ones here in Hampshire, they come too early.

Furball · 30/11/2007 18:19

cornsilk - yes, I just put it in an envelope and handed it to them saying buy yourselves a drink

santaoftheopera · 30/11/2007 18:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alambil · 30/11/2007 19:33

I might leave a 4 pack out for them as they have taken extra rubbish that wouldn't fit in the wheelie (against regulations apparently!)

JeremyMcVile · 30/11/2007 19:37

Beer and biscuits.

Nothing for postie though, as we have various.

littlerach · 30/11/2007 19:39

My grandma always tips them a fiver, and th epostman.

When she styed with us over xmas she tipped our postwoman, who is lovely, so I feel I have to ontinue now!
But she is fab and often comes back round if we weren't in and she had tried to deliver somehting.