As much as we want to get on with our neighbours, sometimes problems can occur, and a certain behaviour some seem to detest is when people in their street put their rubbish in other people’s bins. One man recently admitted it kept happening to him and, it became such a problem, that he decided to seek revenge.
The man opened up about the matter on Reddit, and it got a lot of people talking. He grew tired of other people’s actions impacting his property, so he took matters into his own hands to get his own back on the “entitled” neighbour.
It’s not the first time such a story has emerged either. Previously, another tale was exposed about how a “rude” person kept filling up their neighbour’s wheelie bin without asking permission.
Telling the story, he said: “Steal my wheelie bin? It’s going to cost you. Anyways, a while back I had an unknown neighbour start putting their trash in my wheelie bin.
“It started out as an extra bag here and there and eventually escalated to them hijacking the bin and it being at the other end of the alley. I was tired, p****d off after months of this now.
“At this point the bin is highjacked in someone’s back yard [and] I’m sitting with a new-born and a bunch of nappies I couldn’t get rid of (no I didn’t do what you are thinking, but I sure thought about it).
“I waited patiently, unable to use my bin until collection day. Collection is about 9am. 6am I recover my beloved wheelie bin they left out the night before.
“I removed every single bag of theirs and dumped them onto the sidewalk at the end of the alley where all the bins go for collection, filled up mine with my own rubbish and went about my day. Walking back home in the afternoon and, to my delight, the offenders’ bags have all been re-bagged by the city in bright blue bags with the city council’s logo and something along the lines of ‘litter investigation evidence’ printed on them.
“I assume the city found a letter or something and they got a fine or at least a warning for it, because my bin never got touched again – not even a Coke can.
“Fines here are £400 up to £2,500 for fly-tipping. They could have forked out £25 for a new bin instead, but they chose violence and I responded.”
As you’d expect, the post got a lot of people talking, as it’s an issue that seems to bother many. Several couldn’t believe how it all played out.
One said: “If not done so already, get your door number permanently marked on your bin? Don’t bother with peelable stickers.”
Another added: “Bin wars are the pettiest war of them all, and I’ve been there as well! When I complained to the council they told me it was my fault for not having a tracker or a hidden mark on the bin that only I knew about (numbers were those sticker types).”
A third replied: “This is the best. They were to be assumption that you wouldn’t do anything and that there would be no consequences. Good for you.”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “I love it, but I’m also curious. Wouldn’t taking the trash out of its receptacle and placing said trash on the sidewalk be considered illegal dumping (fly-tipping)?”
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If you experience an issue with people using your bins, you shouldn’t take such drastic action. Instead, there are some steps you should follow.
First, try having a polite conversation with the person, and clearly mark your bin with your address. If the problem persists, secure the bin with a padlock and, if they are contaminating your recycling, report it to your local council for guidance on what to do next.
Unsolicited dumping can be considered a form of fly-tipping. Seek expert advice on the problem, and gather evidence to support your case if someone is impacting your property.