Thieving neighbours...What would you do?

[Steven W]

You should be able to trust your neighbours,right? I've been nothing but nice to them every since they moved in about a year ago. I even take in their parcels because I work at home and bring them around in the evening.

About 3 months ago, the lady next door came round and asked whether we'd seen her recycling bin as it had gone missing. We said we hadn't, we've got our own. Then about one month later, our bin went missing. We assumed there must be a bin thief about, so we phoned the council and asked for a replacement.

The week after, the next door neighbour put a recycling bin out, but not any one, our one...the one that had gone missing. I knew it was ours because it had a chip in it in the exactly the same place.

Not one to cause a scene, I thought I'd just let it go, it's only a bin after all and the one from the council would soon arrive.

Well...today I was astonished to see that our recycling bin, the one that was stolen by the neighbours was remarkably back outside our front door, but it was on its side, as if it had just been thrown over the fence from next door.

I had a long think as to why they would give it back and eventually put two and two together and assumed that the new one must have arrived, but they'd decided they wanted that one now.

I phoned the council who informed me that the new recycling bin I had asked for had been delivered today.

I really can't believe the cheek of them. They've nicked our new one and gave us back the old one (dirty) that they'd nicked anyway.

I know it's only a bin, but they really can't get away with treating people like they're stupid. What should I do? Confront the miserable cow, seek some sort of quiet revenge, or just leave it.

P.S She looks like she could knock a bloke out.

[Whiternoise]

Well.. if you don't want it to happen again, get a can of luminous/black spray paint (depends on the bin colour) and write your house number on it. Multiple Times.

I think you should leave it for now, and if it happens again then the above should do the job. If not then complain to the council or leave an anonymous note through their door.

[Zak33]

leave it..... some people are just weird....they prolly dont see it as weird.

if you make an enemy.....you're in sh1t street.

if it was actual theft....like stealing something you owned..its different. but this is council property.

life, as they say...is too short.

[mycarsavw]

Write on the bottom of the new one (when you steal it back) "This recycling box belongs to house number....."

Then every time it goes missing, and you happen to see her, ask if she's seen your box - Oi no laughing - when she says she hasn't, mention nonchalantly the inscription... "Oh well, who ever did take it will be a bit peeved when they see what I wrote on it"

If she has any morals, it'll be back, with a chip in it, just like the old one.

[Steven W]

leave it..... some people are just weird....they prolly dont see it as weird.

if you make an enemy.....you're in sh1t street.

if it was actual theft....like stealing something you owned..its different. but this is council property.

life, as they say...is too short.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I don't really want to gain an enemy.

However, I am half tempted to hold onto any parcels that come for them for longer than usual. Mind you, I suppose that is a bit petty.

[Daymonkey]

jesus, don't be a wimp.
Go over say you don't appreciate them fgt'ing your bin around and ask if they have had good reason to take something that you are responsible for, if they don't just hit the woman(with can of stella in hand).

[Clunk]

Wait until she puts the box out, wait til she isnt looking and then walk over to it with a tin of gloss paint and paint your number on it, and then leave it.

[Daymonkey]

Wait until she puts the box out, and then walk over to it with a tin of gloss paint and paint your number on it, and then leave it.

Or alternatively take a dump in it.

[JPreston]

Or alternatively take a dump in it.

Or alternatively take a dump over the fence just in front of their door? As often as needed.

Weird one this. I can sort of understand nicking your bin in the first place but then swapping it for a shinier one is just odd. Can't you nick the new one back when they leave it out one day, and paint your number on it? You probably don't care which bin you have but it's the principle, I suppose.

[Magnets]

That's really weird, she is probably using the bins for something and needs more than 1

[Kumagoro]

What will you gain by saying something to them? Then again what will happen seeing as you didn't
say anything.

[Brucelles]

I'm definitely in the "Don't know" camp. They do seem a bit dodgy, and you don't want a repeat of that with something valuable, but is it worth the hassle? I think you should let themknow that you know, but leave it there.

[Blackmage]

I heard the chips monitor the amount of rubbish begin produce. That's the only reason to much you will get charged by the council.

More taken from this is london

"The official reason for the bugs is to 'improve efficiency' and settle disputes between neighbours over wheelie-bin ownership."

"With the bugging technology, the electronic chips are carefully hidden under the moulded front 'lip' of wheelie bins used by householders for non-recyclable waste. As the bin is raised by the mechanical hoister at the back of the truck, the chip passes across an antenna fitted to the lifting mechanism. That enables the antenna to 'read' a serial number assigned to each property in the street.

A computer inside the truck weighs the bin as it is raised, subtracts the weight of the bin itself and records the weight of the contents on an electronic data card."



http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/a...bin/article.do

[Richdog]

Say something like this:

*Knock on door*

"Hi it's just me, i'm wondering if you've seen anyone suspicious hanging round lately? Reason i'm asking is because some low-life has been stealing my bin and i've reported it to the council. With us being neighbours i'm just wondering if you could do me a huge favour and keep and eye out for me. Thanks.

*Smile and leave*

That'll do the trick.

[Jay]

my neighbours stole my bike from my back garden.

A guy over the road took my bin so I got a replacment and he took that as well!

I kicked the living crap out of him, I was having a bad day and he refused to give them back to me as he said they where full.

I just tipped them both up in his back yard and took them over to my yard. Funny enough he never did it again.

[pollaxe]

Kill her and eat her.

Failing that, just be wary of them and don't be in a hurry to do them a favour and paint your house number on there too as suggested above.

Petty but annoying and the kind of behaviour that starts nasty feuds. Bah, I don't like the human race very much.