Whomever is doing this stop it right FRICKING NOW!!!!!

[LynneSin]

My garbage is part of my city taxes that I pay so it doesn't matter how much or how little I put out plus each city resident gets a garbage can & a recycle bin from the city to use.

As a single woman I don' have alot of garbage. Usually 1-2 bags from downstairs. 1 bag from upstairs and a big bag of used cat litter. But even with those bags it only fills up my garbage can about half full. So once I get my garbage out I don't care what else is tossed in there.

I have some ignorant disrespectful neighbor that thinks my garbage can is never used so they toss all their overflow into mine. I know who is doing it and I have asked them not to add their garbage in until the night before - that way I know I have enough room for mine. The garbage collector will not pick up garbage outside of the can (although you can call anytime for special pickup if you've done a spring cleaning).

Nothing is more frustrating than finding your garbage can overfilled with garbage and none of it is yours PLUS you have no room for your garbage. Then I'm running around lugging a 30lb bag of used cat litter figuring out where I can put my garbage.

So I get home tonight and what's in my can but another *)#^% garbage bag and the collectors just came this morning. Since the collectors returned my can about 3 doors down I just pulled the bag out and left it right there on the spot.

I'm gonna find a way to lock my damn can until the night before collection. If people can't be respectful then they aren't going to use my can at all.

[libodem]

1. Yeah, dammit!

That would annoy me, too.

[Auggie]

2. Can you put your cans out in the morning, or closer to pick-up time?

I did that in San Francisco to keep people from dumpster diving.

[LynneSin]

3. I live in a row home - no place to keep the cans other than outside

But I'm thinking if they are up on the porch that perhaps people would just pass me by and find another home. Although in the summer I really don't want my garbage can up there near my front window.

[leftyohiolib]

4. booby trap the lid

[LynneSin]

5. That's what I thought - if they lose a few fingers in the process then it'll be a lesson learned...

I jest I jest!!!!

:sarasm: to the title

[woodsprite]

8. Can you fill a bag with a bunch of lightweight bulky stuff as a place holder?

I'm thinking newspaper or styrofoam so it would look full, and be lightweight enough for you to remove it to put your real garbage bags in the night before collection? I have the same can and they're freakin' huge, so you'd probably need something like a contractor's bag with file boxes inside, but it should fill up a bunch of space. Then you could take it out the night before collection and put your real bags in there.

If they generate that much trash, they should buy another one from the city. What is it, like $150?

[LynneSin]

9. The city said I could drill holes into my garbage can.

I figured if I do that I can buy a chain and a cheap lock and just lock it when not in use. I'd take it off the night before garbage collection and after I put my garbage in they can add theirs if they like

I don't mind sharing my can, I just get annoyed when they don't save any room so I can put my garbage in the can.

[TheMadMonk]

26. I'd start minding. Many municipalities now charge by weight.

And yours could be next.

Return his property.

[leftyohiolib]

12. woah i meant something like a paint bomb getting paint on them to mark them

[Demoiselle]

25. I second this suggestion. Paint bomb plus maybe a really noisy frightening alarm...

[In_The_Wind]

6. Don't let anyone use your can, LynneSin!

[img][/img]
a serious moment
for LynneSin's can

[siligut]

7. Wow.

You were generous and now they are taking advantage of you. Time to bring the hammer down. Agree, lock the can and tell the cheap slobs, as nicely as possible, that they can go fuck themselves.

[RedCloud]

10. Can the cheap bastards just buy another can?

[Lokey]

11. That's kind of screwed up..

We are allowed 5 cans or bags. We do the cans because you can get more in it. We do have to pay for a garbage sticker.
However, if I exceed my 5 cans the thought has not once crossed my mind to put it with my neighbors.
I understand it's just garbage, but it is still about respect for other people.

What I don't get is why folks think it's ok to do stuff like that. I'm sure you are probably trying to maintain a good neighbor relationship but I would be setting my bag of cat shit on their front porch.

Hope the lock works out.

[Kaleva]

13. 30 lbs. of cat litter a week? I'd be more pissed off about MFM using the litter box.

[backwoodsbob]

14. drill a hole through the top and side

use a cable to lock it

[LynneSin]

15. I have considered that and I spoke to the sanitation department - they said it's ok

Remember - I don't technically own the cans.

However at this time I've just moved my can up on the porch. I would prefer not keeping it there. When it gets warm out I know I'll want to use my porch and really don't want the smell garbage cans around. But I'm hoping come springtime that perhaps people will know better than to use my garbage can and I can put it back down on the ground without the same issue happening again.

Plus it was the holidays and there does tend to be an increase in garbage.

We shall see.

[lame54]

16. put it on their doorstep

[LynneSin]

18. Which would require me to dig thru their garbage and figure out which neighbor it is

Not high on my list of things to do.

[geardaddy]

17. Dump your kitty litter on their front doorstep. n/t

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

19. I would return their trash to them. Seriously.

If I knew, without a doubt, who was doing it. I would walk it right back over to them and leave it on their doorstep with a note. Otherwise, you'll have to keep your garbage in the garage or something.

[kudzu22]

20. That's exactly what I'd do n/t

[LynneSin]

23. I live in a row home - I have no clue who is doing it

I would have to dig thru the garbage and find something with an address so I can go yell at the person who is doing it. My one neighbor swears it's not him and he thinks it's a family up the street.

When I went to get my can after collections last week it was left a few doors down and already there was a bag in it. I just pulled the bag out and then put my garbage can back up on the porch. Someone did bother to put it in another garbage can. Had the collectors left the can in front of my house and I found the new bag in there I would have just left it in there.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

27. Game Camera. Cheap and effective.

[womanofthehills]

32. Game camera recommended

I live in a rural area and have game cameras on my front and back doors. You can set one up in a few minutes.

[GoneOffShore]

21. As regards the cat litter:

Have you tried a flushable litter? We use "Worlds Best" and it flushes easily.

[LynneSin]

22. I have city septic - I don't flush anything down there except the usual stuff

so no flushable litter for me.

BUT...

even if I did use flushable litter evenually I have to change the litterbox out to fresh litter. Not like I can buy one box of it and use it for the rest of the cat's life.

[GoneOffShore]

24. I understand -

And I actually thought you were in Wilmington, where flushable cat litter would be okay.

The "Worlds Best" brand is corn based and doesn't give us a problem here in Philly with our old house plumbing. And we only have the one old lady cat who gets through about one 10 pound bag every two weeks.

[MrsBrady]

28. if his trash is in a bag, i would take it out

and put it back on his front porch.

he'd get the hint.

[Major Nikon]

29. I have sort of the reverse problem

My garbage collector will happily pick up garbage that is not in the can. In fact, you don't have to use a can at all and lots of people don't, and nobody seems to put lids on their recycle bins. My home is on the southern send of a northbound street. In the winter, the wind usually comes out of the north, so if a big wind picks up overnight, I have everyone's garbage in my front lawn. Someday I'm going to start going through their garbage to find junk mail with addresses so I can return their garbage on their front lawn as a courtesy, but I have yet to do this.

The moral of the story is don't feel too bad about your cities garbage can policy. It could be worse.

[4theleft]

30. This is why we cant have nice things...

It seems to me like your neighbor is a freeloader.

You should lock your can so no one else can use it.

[samsingh]

31. kick