would you do or say anything?

So, last night i put out our recyclables (we had a lot after this weekend ) and at about 10:00 pm i notice a big car pull up in front of my house and this couple starts rummaging through my cans and bottles.

My front door was open so i stood there and watched them go through it all, and then go over to my neighbors as well. When they opened their car doors i noticed the back was filled with giant bags full of other cans/bottles.

I felt a little put off.. like maybe they should've asked us or something. It was weird to watch someone go through my garbage while i was obviously standing there watching them.
DH says i'm nuts, and that if its out on the curb, its fair game. I tend to agree, but i still can't help but feel like they should have at least said 'hey do you mind if i take these?' since i was right there.

what do you think?

Re: would you do or say anything?

i never do. and this old lady does it all the time.

Re: would you do or say anything?

i had someone take mine to a couple times.. i really don't mind as well

Re: would you do or say anything?

i think it's a little odd, but it wouldn't bother me.

Re: would you do or say anything?

It wouldn't bug me. We have a guy that comes by every recycling day & does that...sometimes he walks w/a shopping cart & sometimes he's in a rusty old car. Knowing that he'll take them, we started to purposely place our deposit bottles in there for him. We figure if he's going through all the trouble (and from the looks of it) he could use it more than we can...

Re: would you do or say anything?

Never would I say anything... I totally agree with your DH.

What would I say? Hey - that's MY garbage/recyclables. For the dump/plant, not you.

Re: would you do or say anything?

We have people do this in our neighborhood. At first I felt weird about it, but it doesn't bother me now.

If they were leaving a mess on my lawn or dropping the unwanted stuff everywhere then I would say something.

Message edited 7/7/2009 11:23:19 AM.

Re: would you do or say anything?

No, I would not say anything. If someone wants to go through my garbage or recyclables, have fun!

Re: would you do or say anything?

Yes, your DH is right. On the curb it's fair game. That's why you don't trash "papers" and people get their identity stolen.

We have recycle every Wednesday in my Town. We hear people going through other people's trash cans at 9-10pm to get the tin cans for themselves.

Re: would you do or say anything?

oh we have a truck come swing around rummage through everything. As long as they don't make a mess i don't care. Sometimes Sunday night when Dh and I are driving we scope out the left over garage sale crap. Sometimes you find something useful for free.

Re: would you do or say anything?

Re: would you do or say anything?

i wouldn't say anything. one man's trash is another man's treasure (i guess even recyclables).

something like this happened to me recently. i left a ton of of cut cardboard out for paper recyclable day. the morning of pickup a car drove into the court and man with a bright blue ss shirt got out of the car and rummaged through the pile. he picked up a piece of fairly large cardboard but instead of loading it into his car he walked across the court and threw it over the neighbors fence into the woods. about a half an hr later the men came for pickup and the driver (wearing a bright blue ss shirt) jumped out to assist the other men load the pile. after loading all the items, they drove away. i went out shortly after and returned home hrs later to find the cardboard gone.

Re: would you do or say anything?

i think its odd, but no, I wouldnt have said anything. No harm done. Maybe they are really hurting for money and could use every penny. They may be embarrassed in the first place if thats the case or maybe not. Just throwing out some scenarios. Id just let it be.

Re: would you do or say anything?

Posted by Otherme

Posted by jam11308

It wouldn't bug me. We have a guy that comes by every recycling day & does that...sometimes he walks w/a shopping cart & sometimes he's in a rusty old car. Knowing that he'll take them, we started to purposely place our deposit bottles in there for him. We figure if he's going through all the trouble (and from the looks of it) he could use it more than we can...

See, thats also the thing.. these people didn't 'look' as if they were down on their luck at all. They were dressed well, and were driving a Cadillac Escalade. It just made me . I guess if it was a guy with a shopping cart i would not have questioned it at all because if he can use it, then by all means go ahead. It was just the fact that they didn't 'look' as if they needed it. (i know, who am i to tell if they do or don't need it)
anyway, i figured the responses would be as such.. i was just curious to see what everyone else thought.

Message edited 7/7/2009 12:01:40 PM.

Re: would you do or say anything?

I wouldn't say anything

these days having nice stuff doesn't mean you are 10 days away from the repo man coming

I would think if they were driving a $50K truck- things must be bad to pick thru garbage for cans

or they could have borrowed the truck

if I saw them again- I would probably give them a $20

Re: would you do or say anything?

I remember as a kid, always scavenging for cans to get 5 cents for. And there were always adults at the can machines too. I suppose it's just not as common now as it once was but I don't find it strange.

In every neighborhood I've lived in, there have been can people and special pickup people. When I lived in East Meadow, I would collect cans from the hosts of parties I went to and leave them on the curb for our can lady.

Just this past Sunday, I saw a pickup truck overfilled with tons of stuff. They stopped at my neighbor's house and loaded an old broken patio set into it.

To me, if I cannot find a better use for it and it's going to the dump anyway, I like the idea of someone else re-purposing my trash. If they can make money off it, so be it - I'm not putting in the effort to do it, so I won't begrudge them.

Re: would you do or say anything?

We have a homeless man that comes down are block every week. He is very neat about it so we don't mind. If he can use it great, if he can make money off of it that is great too. We also have different men in pickup trucks come by late at night when the metal recycles are out and they pick them up and take it by the truck load to get money for the metals at the dump. More power to them.

Re: would you do or say anything?

ok, so i won't feel weird about it anymore - and actually i'll see if i can be more vigilant about putting things out for people to use.
you're all right.. if someone else can use it, and i can help someone, then why not

thanks for helping me see things differently!

Re: would you do or say anything?

I leave things out on the curb all the time, even when it's not pickup day, and it's usually gone pretty quick.

If not, I post on Freecycle first for Suffolk County. I think it's a safer alternative to CraigsList.

Re: would you do or say anything?

I know almost all of the "guys" in our neighborhood bc when i worked at the supermarket they would turn in the bottle deposits for cash and I worked at the customer service counter. LOL

nothing like a guy going through the garbage and then looking up and saying "HI MATILDE!!!!! How is the new job?!" LOL DH still cant get used to it.

They can make good money off the bottles and cans - more power to them! i try to keep them on top so they dont have to empty everything out all over the place.

Re: would you do or say anything?

as long as they didn't make a mess, i wouldn't say anything.

Re: would you do or say anything?

This reminds me of a story I saw on TV - a couple put their two children through college by collecting cans and cashing them in. They mentioned that many times they were SO embarrassed to be diving into dumpsters and garbage cans, but they made enough to never be on government assistance and send their kids to college.

Re: would you do or say anything?

Posted by Otherme

So, last night i put out our recyclables (we had a lot after this weekend ) and at about 10:00 pm

DH says i'm nuts, and that if its out on the curb, its fair game. I tend to agree, but i still can't help but feel like they should have at least said 'hey do you mind if i take these?' since i was right there.

what do you think?

Re: would you do or say anything?

I saw on Oprah that this couple put their daughter through college collecting cans and bottles for deposit at night. I would definately not say anything

As for them driving an escalade I dont think you can tell how someone is doing from that- I drive a BMW but my husband was laid off and we are barely making it..

Re: would you do or say anything?

I find it weird, and it would make me uncomfortable, but I'm not sure if I'd say anything. I could go both ways. I'd probably not say anything in the end, but I'd definitely make my presence known. Hard to say since so many people are struggling and I would never want to deny someone the chance to get some help, even if it meant they were going through my recycling.

But it's just a warning to make sure you don't have any papers left in your recycling or garbage that could lead to identity theft. We shred everything!