Neighbor using YOUR garbage can?

[Peanut Giggleface]

A couple of days ago, I went out to check the mail and bring the garbage can in. I lifted the lid and there was still garbage in it, so I turned to back inside. As I did, my neighbor across the street yelled over and told me he had put some garbage in my can. I was like what? And he said yeah, the garbage had just come down his side of the street, but since it hadn't gotten to my side, he came over and dropped off his garbage in my can.

I really don't know what to think of this and it strikes me as a little strange. So I was wondering what people here would think. Here's some specifics:
*garbage cans are the property of the city
*garbage cans are free and replacements are free
*garbage is not billed according to weight
*garbage service is three times a week (one of those is for recyclables only)

So basically there's no consequences for me with him using our can. It just is a little weird. I mean, why can't he put his garbage in his own can and wait for the next pickup which was two days later?

Any thoughts?

 

[Laura66]

I just think it's incredibly rude! It takes up space that u might need for your own garbage. I just can't imagine me doing that to someone or someone doing it to me???

 

[Janepod]

A couple of days ago, I went out to check the mail and bring the garbage can in. I lifted the lid and there was still garbage in it, so I turned to back inside. As I did, my neighbor across the street yelled over and told me he had put some garbage in my can. I was like what? And he said yeah, the garbage had just come down his side of the street, but since it hadn't gotten to my side, he came over and dropped off his garbage in my can.

I really don't know what to think of this and it strikes me as a little strange. So I was wondering what people here would think. Here's some specifics:
*garbage cans are the property of the city
*garbage cans are free and replacements are free
*garbage is not billed according to weight
*garbage service is three times a week (one of those is for recyclables only)

So basically there's no consequences for me with him using our can. It just is a little weird. I mean, why can't he put his garbage in his own can and wait for the next pickup which was two days later?

Any thoughts?

What's strange about it? He used your can so he wouldn't have to have his trash (which was already bagged up) sit around til the next pickup date. I don't think it's a big deal and it was nice of him to tell you rather than act like he knew nothing about it.

 

[Susiequsie60]

I don't think it would bother me at all. Wouldn't think twice about it. (I say this with the caveat that I'm not 100% sure . . . I'm a big believer in not knowing exactly how I would feel or react if I'm not actually in the situation.) But honestly, I don't think it's a big deal.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yeah, I have to agree not a big deal & his disclosure gave you an out if it had been. He "owes" ya one

 

[Luvchefmic]

now wouldn't it be better that it was picked up that day from your can rather than sitting in his for 2 days and nights possibly kicked out all over the street by night time roaming dog or racoon I really don't understand even giving this a second thought

 

[powellrj]

I wouldn't think anything about it. I would just smile and wave back at him.

 

[Imhere]

I wouldn't think about it for a second.

I honestly can't believe anyone would invest any thought into this action that didn't hurt anyone, didn't cost anyone anything, didn't affect anyone in any way shape or form.

You asked.

 

[mumto3girls]

I don't think I would make a big deal about this, but I do think he should have asked. I should admit that I am a bit compulsive when it comes to the garbage though. Our regular pick up is once a week and our recycling is every other week. I hate to miss it and even though my husband puts out the trash the night before when he is in town, if I have anything bulky/messy/or potentially smelly on trash day I will check to see if the trash has been picked up yet and if not I will run it out to the curb. At times when I have heard the truck in the distance and tried to finish something to get it out to the curb and have missed, I have considered putting it in the can of one of the houses across the street( if not yet picked up), but wouldn't do it without asking.

The one time I was trying to throw out some items I didn't want my kids to see and I missed the trash guys and I did call my neighbor behind me to ask if she minded me sticking my bag on her pile since hers wasn't gone and she just laughed and said no problem. She also had little ones.

I don't know that I would be so concerned though if my pick up was as often as yours.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

It sounds as though the trash was already picked up on the op's side before he put his trash in. Op was bringing the can in and noticed trash in it. If so, then the op is stuck with his trash until the next pickup. I wouldn't want that.

 

[tvguy]

Just part of being a good neighbor.

We have three 90 gallon trash cans, one for trash, one for recycling and one for green waste. They pick up the trash every week, and alternate recycling and green waste.
It is the norm, especially with green waste, if one neighbor fills up their can, for them to dump excess in another neighbors can that is not full.

Same thing happens with outgoing mail, if the mailman has done one side of the street, but not the other, you might find a neighbor's outgoing mail in your mailbox and the flag up.

I'd say it's a non-issue, except that it so accepted here it wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

Taking it a step further, my neighbor's water line broke, the portion on their property, not the water districts. It took a week to fix, and they were hooked up to our front faucet for water for a week. But because we have water meters, it did cost me about $20 more on my water bill, but they took us out to dinner as thanks. Very nice since they had just laid out $5,000 to fix the water line. And the reality is, some day my water line will break I will have to do the same thing. So I guess I will owe them a dinner then.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I really wouldn't care a bit.

 

[Hrhpd]

A couple of days ago, I went out to check the mail and bring the garbage can in. I lifted the lid and there was still garbage in it, so I turned to back inside. As I did, my neighbor across the street yelled over and told me he had put some garbage in my can. I was like what? And he said yeah, the garbage had just come down his side of the street, but since it hadn't gotten to my side, he came over and dropped off his garbage in my can.

I really don't know what to think of this and it strikes me as a little strange. So I was wondering what people here would think. Here's some specifics:
*garbage cans are the property of the city
*garbage cans are free and replacements are free
*garbage is not billed according to weight
*garbage service is three times a week (one of those is for recyclables only)

So basically there's no consequences for me with him using our can. It just is a little weird. I mean, why can't he put his garbage in his own can and wait for the next pickup which was two days later?

Any thoughts?

Wouldn't bother me a bit. In fact, I would have given the neighbor a thumbs up and a smile, happy that my can was available to help him out.

But then, our street tends to be very neighborly. We all help each other out.

 

[Hrhpd]

It sounds as though the trash was already picked up on the op's side before he put his trash in. Op was bringing the can in and noticed trash in it. If so, then the op is stuck with his trash until the next pickup. I wouldn't want that.

Op already said that the neighbor did it because the truck had NOT been down her side yet.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It would bother me if his garbage took up space in my can that I needed. We only get garbage pick up once a week on Mondays. We put the cans out on Sunday evening. If we have additional garbage to take out, we take it out to the curb and put it in the cans. One Sunday I took some expired food out of the fridge and went to put it in the garbage can. I was surprised to see that someone had stuffed a bunch of their stuff in our can. I thought it was extremely rude. I cleaned the fridge because I knew we had enough space in the can that week. Now I'm stuck with a bag of stinky food for a week. Or I could take out the other person's garbage and be stuck with that. We pay for one can of garbage to be picked up each week. That's our space. We sometimes take stuff for our neighbor across the street, and vice versa. But we always ask each other first. We've learned not to put our cans out until we're sure we don't have anything else to put in them.

 

[aaarcher86]

I'm on friendly enough terms with my neighbors that it wouldn't bother me. It's not like he's doing it every week to avoid paying his trash bill or something. It doesn't cost me anything.

If I'd never spoken to the neighbor before I'd be a little put off by their assumption that it was okay.

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

Well thanks for the responses. This is kinda new to us as we're just now in a neighborhood after living in a very rural area for several years. Out in the boonies there was no garbage service so you had to make a trip to the dump about once a month. Since we're new to living in a neighborhood, this is a situation we've never encountered before. Like I said it was nothing to us, but was curious what other people thought.

 

[loveshak22]

If I understand the situation correctly, the garbage man still was going to pick up your can that day? That wouldn't bother me at all and I'd think it was nice that he made an effort to see me outside and let me know.

Now - if the garbage man had already picked up your trash then he put the trash in my container then I would think that was weird and be a little peeved.

My neighbor has like 5 trashcans and we have 1. She said she got hers free but when we moved here the city charged us $45 for our can and our recycle can. Then for some reason if we put trash in a bag next to our can the guys wouldn't always take it. I was telling her I thought that was annoying and she said I could use hers anytime. I've used them twice but still feel kind of guilty like I need to go tell her or something.

I'll share one of my pet peeves but my DH thinks I'm stupid but I hate when people put their dog poo bags in my empty trash can. I know it's a trashcan and it's not taking up much room but it will smell up the trashcan like poo. Trash smell is one thing but trash + poo smell is just gross. Again, my DH thinks I'm dumb because it's not like we're out in the alley and I'm smelling it but there are plenty of city trashcans to use. We have two dogs and I never put the bags in other people's trashcans when I walk by because they are closer. My DH thinks a trashcan is a trashcan!

 

[kacaju]

Me and my neighbors do this all the time.. We have Monday pick ups.. once the can is at the curb it is considered *full* and if I need to use my neighbors can to throw an addition bag out it is not a big deal.. In fact the house next door is empty...new people should be moving in soon, and I had my dd throw some recycling in their can just today. I will take it out to the curb (since no one is living there) and bring it back to the house. Once the new people move in I will let them know it is *neighborly friendly* that if you need to use any of our cans feel free...thanks for the reminder!!

 

[disney1990]

It would not bother me at all. Rather in the trash can than on the street.