Bin men bad attitude

[George's]

Is it just me or do some of the bin men have a real attitude problem? Just had collection today and they practically chucked the bins back into the front garden blocking the path as they usually do and when I looked out he complained that he couldn't get the bin as it was behind another bin which wouldnt have been hard to move aside! Last week a different bin man kicked the bin several times as he couldn't get it out easily enough! Fair enough we do have many bins now the green, blue and brown but surely it's their job to move the bins and put them back where they found them without having a hissy fit. Guess that's why they do what they do....

[LUVED]

I agree. Last week one of them threw and left the brown food waste bin on my plants. I will see how they are this week and if it happens again I will put in a complaint.

[bawdy-nan]

I've found them to be absolutely lovely. Chatty, helpful and very friendly ... maybe it's a differnt team?

[peterstorm1985]

Since the new recycling scheme was introduced we have noticed a certain amount of bin rage. The bins are all lined up just inside our gate but when the first team comes along and empties one bin, they shove it back through the gate but don't return it to its permanent location. This then blocks the access for the second bin (and the postman). The second crew then bash everything about in annoyance. Previously, they just used to leave all the bins on the pavement, which we would return later, but perhaps they've been told not to do that anymore.

[The Minkey]

I don't have an issue with my bin collection, but the practise of leaving bins on pathways can be a nightmare for those with mobility issues. My former neighbour, a 95 year old who can only get around with a zimmer, is effectively left housebound on bin days as she can't move the bins out of the way to get past them. I tried reporting this on several occasions to Southwark but nothing changed.

[Sue]

I've had problems with this as well, although I don't have mobility issues (yet!).

I really don't understand why bins can't be returned to the places they came from. Surely it takes no more time to do this than to leave them on a pathway completely blocking access into and out of the house?

[binary_star]

I live on Barry Rd and can't fault our bin men. Comparing them with other boroughs in London and various other cities in the UK, I've no complaints. They take the bin up and down our drive, empty it when it's overfull, remove rubbish left to the the side of the bins. I've lived in a borough where you had to have your bin handles facing the road or it wouldn't be collected, or if you put it out too early in the evening you would get a fine for obstructing the path. No complaints.

[sandyman]

I was going to put this on the burglaries thread yesterday but it may be more appropriate here as this has been brought up. If the bin men leave the bins in the street and you aren't at home to put them away yourself ? particularly a problem now there are three to empty and various different collections ? you might as well stick a sign in your window saying "Burglars please note there is currently no-one home"

It would be a nice bit of joined-up thinking if the Council insisted bins are always returned and not left in drive, or even worse, in street.

An even more serious problem if you are away for the week on holiday.

[Loz]

I was pleasantly surprised when I first moved here that the bin men fetched the bins. As with binary_star, I've lived in places where if you don't put them out, they don't get emptied. Yes, sometimes they shove things out the way and they don't put them back neatly, but have you seen how fast they work?

So, I think the service is pretty good.

[katie1997]

I always move my neighbour's bins from the street if they haven't managed to move them after a while. Not saying I put them in the exactly right spot but it does help a bit.

Bin men are great on my street and get the job done really quickly and efficiently, never had a problem. I can hear them coming a mile off now. All those bins = much more noise, so I sympathise with anyone who needs to sleep during the day. But then again, maybe they get used to all the noises of the city.

[Penguin68]

I have been driving round ED all this morning, constantly getting caught behind binmen themselves caught behind the multiplicity of road works happening all over, plus building works with skips and goodness knows what other obstructions - if I had to work my way round ED with all that happening as part of my job (with annoyed motorists angry to get caught behind rubbish trucks behind roadworks sounding off as well - not me, this time) I too might be a bit short tempered, particularly as my work routines for 4-5 years (sometimes many more) have all been disrupted. My 'standard' rubbish men have been coming on Fridays for the past 20 years, now its Tuesdays. Nobody likes change.

[Vilmos]

Where my son lives, near the south coast, if you don't put your bin out on the pavement the bin men wont empty it. At least here they will go into your yard and take the bin out of the gate to get it to the lorry. Also, where my son lives, you have to buy your own disposable bags to put in the food recycling bin, and they are expensive. You also have to pay to have your garden waste taken away, or take it to the dump yourself.

Things could be worse!

[mooncake]

yes - fortunately I left the house late today so was able to remove the bin from it's haphazard location which was in direct obstruction of my front door!! But some days we can be out for a long time so it could have stayed like this until god knows what time tonight.

sandyman Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I was going to put this on the burglaries thread

> yesterday but it may be more appropriate here as

> this has been brought up. If the bin men leave the

> bins in the street and you aren't at home to put

> them away yourself ? particularly a problem now

> there are three to empty and various different

> collections ? you might as well stick a sign in

> your window saying "Burglars please note there is

> currently no-one home"

>

> It would be a nice bit of joined-up thinking if

> the Council insisted bins are always returned and

> not left in drive, or even worse, in street.

>

> An even more serious problem if you are away for

> the week on holiday.

[Frankito]

I would probably develop a very bad attitude if I were stuck behind one of those smelly lorries all day, every day!

[intexasatthe moment]

surely it's their job to move the bins and put them back where they found them without having a hissy fit. Guess that's why they do what they do....

mmm.... I imagine they "do what they do " because they need a job to pay the bills .

Not out of some deep seated longing to collect refuse and return bins to starting position .

[ibilly99]

what do you expect bin men to do? pirouette down the street smelling of roses, this has got to be a wind-up, either that or east dulwich really has become a middle-class ghetto?

Edit - first post from George's - it's a troll complete with apostrophe wind up.

http://three-ninjas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/binman.jpg

[sophiesofa]

This was briefly discussed on another thread recently. Southwark website says they put your bins back onto you land, it doesn;t say exactly where they came from. They have to work extremely quickly so I don't mind this at all.

However there should be a system in place for those with mobility issues as no-one should have to be stuck in their home unable to leave. Perhaps a big sign on the lid of the bin saying (please replace bin fully due to resident mobility issues) actually that might be a bit of an ad to burglars. Perhaps a big colour coded sticker that's available to southwark residents and the refuse collectors will know to put it back?

Refuse collectors of Southwark, if you do read this I think you do a great job.

[intexasatthe moment]

sophiesofa - there is no system ( not sure how there could be ) biggest problem for my 91 year old mother is getting the refuse out ,never mind putting containers back.

[sophiesofa]

Sorry I wasn't clear I meant they should put a system in place, not there should/is (as in currently is one) be one as I have no idea if they do or don't have one.

Are you saying your mother can't physically put the bin bag in the bin; is she entitled to any hours of help through Southwark? I have no knowledge on this kind of thing, just curious and trying to think of what they could do to help those who need it. What do you suggest?

[intexasatthe moment]

Mainly I help her ,it's a bit tricky now though because she has a collection on Monday ,and sunday is the one day I don't visit .

But her neighbours are really helpful .

But I do wonder about others in the borough who's relatives aren't close and who lack rapport with neighbours .

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Here in Sussex I have to get up at the crack of Dawn or the night before bin day , wheel my bin to the end of the path for collection , if I don't, my bin does not get emptied( I forgot once to put my bin out due to a poorly toddler but thankfully my kindly elderly neighbour wheeled my bin out on my behalf , whew!) I miss the bin men in Dulwich!

[bil]

My bins keep going missing... I have had 1x new brown & 1x new green plus several blue boxes and lids replaced in the last 10 months. Today green bin has gone.

[sophiesofa]

Intexas that's the problem. Some (hopefully very few or even better but wishful, none) Southwark residents are living in dirty/horrible conditions as they don't have any outside help or simply no-one knows they're living like that. There's not much the council can do though if they don't know about each individual case but they must (?) have a duty of care to offer assistance/solutions, to those who ask and need help with day-to-day living, such as taking the bin out. I think I'm going a bit off topic there, sorry.

Bil do you write your number on them and go look at the neighbours to check they haven't got yours/an extra? That is a lot to just go missing completely - how bizarre.

[James Barber]

To be fair to the bin people with the introduction of food waste collections and fortnightly collections all the rounds have been redesigned and they're learning it from scratch. So to begin with they are slower learning the new rounds and days and they're probably trying to cope with that.

Also, to minimise comms many residents haven't noticed the changed collection days and rythm creating more work for them.

It should settle down and be more normal as residents get used to the new collection days and the bin people get used to the new rounds. They'll probably then have the headroom to show more consideration.

But if you have any problems please email and I'll continue to work on particular problems for you.

[Atticus]

Expecting them to return them to the exact proximity is churlish. If they did that for every household they probably wouldn't complete their round, then there would be uproar.