Garbage - update!

Just had a conversation with my neighbor. Every other Wednesday when glass/plastic recyclables go out random people come down our block and go through the garbage looking for bottles and cans. It bothers her to no end. I don't like it but whatever. She got into an altercation this morning with someone doing it. She said she felt very threatened but didn't call the cops. She told me to watch out because she thinks he might come back and since we live next door he might bother me instead.

Now I'm paranoid. What if anything would you do about this? Of course DH is working a double tonight so I'm home alone.

UPDATE: Woke up this morning at 6 am to find the cops next door. Apparently my neighbor's tires were slashed last night (both cars) and there was a ton of broken glass in the street in front of our houses. DH got home at 1 am and didn't notice anything. My neighbor does have cameras though so the police were looking at them.

Another neighbor said it is one of the regular guys that comes by on a bicycle.

Message edited 1/26/2017 9:10:45 AM.

Garbage?

Was the person being neat and tidy after taking everything? And not noisy? those are the only reasons that would get me annoyed.

This guy is probably just trying to scrape up a few bucks. He's probably harmless.

You know what come to think of it… It might bother me a little bit too because sometimes I throw out stuff that's personal. Are they going through the regular garbage cans?

Re: Garbage?

Make sure your doors/windows are locked, put the outside lights on and try not to think about it.
If you see someone picking through your garage and it bothers you, call the police.

Re: Garbage?

Don't you recycle your plastics and glass separately? I'm confused and live in the land of recycling.

Perhaps she throws her deposit cans away?

Garbage?

And if you really freaked out… Maybe don't put your garbage out until early morning

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

They are looking for the deposit cans and bottles. It's all different people doing it. It kind of creeps me out that someone is going through my garbage but I try no to think about it.

I've made sure everything is locked. Garbage goes out again tonight but DH can put it out in the morning if he's home in time.

I'm just a little creeped out tonight

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

Papers aren't mixed in. One week it's papers and the following week its cans, glass and plastic.

Garbage?

I wouldn't worry about it.

Garbage?

We have people come by all the time on recycle day and it doesn't bother me at all. They are neat and unless you saw them there you wouldn't know they were there at all.

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

The issue isn't that someone is going through the garbage. My neighbor is the one with the issue about it not me. I am just creeped out tonight because she had an altercation with someone about it this morning and she said he was very threatening. She was concerned enough about it to call me to warn me. So of course now I'm home alone and kind of spooked.

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

She said she got into a confrontation with him and he told her to watch out because she might find her tires slashed or some of her "precious" bottles thrown through her windows.

Why she didn't call the cops is beyond me but she said she didn't want to get them involved she just wanted to warn me to be safe.

I'm creeped out by him and pissed at her for starting something at the same time!!!!

Re: Garbage?

Re: Garbage?

We have a couple of "regulars" that do this. She said it wasn't one of them. I absolutely think she overreacted but now I'm home alone. Our block is super quiet - like you don't come down it unless you live here - and I'm looking out the window every 2 minutes!

I think I'm just going to drink wine and try to relax.

Garbage?

I couldn't care care less. Clearly I'm not taking them to the bevy so why not let someone else get the change. I would never confront someone - my theory is if I put it to the curb it's fair game for anyone else.

Re: Garbage?

I'm in queens and this has been going on wayyy before I was even born. They aren't looking for personal information or trying to steal your identity. They just want the 5cent deposit. Tell your neighbor to put his/her bottles/cans in a separate bag and make life easier for them. Maybe even go up to them and tell them you'll put what you have on the side so they don't have to go through the trash. Completely harmless.

Re: Garbage?

I have got the in the habit of putting my recycling that is deposit separate so when the people come around they don't make noise or a mess (even though I have personally never had a problem).
I definitely agree that it can be creepy sometimes, but if you really think about it there isn't much to worry about. The people collecting cans and bottles out of the garbage are probably harmless, if they were robbing people they wouldn't need to collect garbage.
I feel bad that your neighbor spooked you, my husband works overnights sometimes and I feel like this kind of crap always only happens when he it at work.

Re: Garbage?

You're neighbor sounds like an idiot.

I wouldn't worry about anything. I highly doubt they will take any form of retaliation and IF they did, it would be towards your neighbor.

Re: Garbage?

I'm in the minority, but we have scrap people that go around digging through ALL the garbage. I'm in a quiet neighborhood and when we first moved in our fully stainless steel grill was stolen. My neighbors saw it happen but didn't know us well enough to know if it was us or not. Then we had a dumpster in our driveway and caught others going through it. If they got hurt in it, lord knows we would have been sued. My husband is in construction so sometimes he has things out in our sideyard. Someone actually walked up and asked if they can take it to scrap! Um no! So we dislike when people go through our garbage. I always feel like they are scoping out our yard for things or whatever. So I get it. And I'm a huge recycling person so I get that too.