# Local tidy towns member picked up paper in my garden. Very annoyed should I be?



## television (6 Mar 2011)

Sitting down with the kids today in front room when a local volenteer of the tidy towns rambles up with his litter picker and starts removing litter from the green area directly outide my front window ( I share this area with other semi D on estate half hers half mine) 

Now I dont want to be un civic minded and I think tidy towns commitees do a great job, but I think the guy has got a hell of a cheek. 

Am I being too touchy here.  Thing is it really annoyed me.  

I am tempted to write a letter but dont want to come accross as tetchy especially as I am new to the area.


----------



## ajapale (6 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> Am I being too touchy here?



Yes. 

Why not invite her in for a nice cup of tea and thank her for cleaning up the neighbourhood? Or better still volunteer to go around her area and pick up the litter in her front garden.


----------



## television (6 Mar 2011)

ajapale said:


> Yes.
> 
> Why not invite her in for a nice cup of tea and thank her for cleaning up the neighbourhood? Or better still volunteer to go around her area and pick up the litter in her front garden.


 

I would love to volunteer and I will but I am new to the area. So give me time.

A mans home is his castle and all that.

Are you seriously telling me that of a random stranger went into your garden and started picking litter you would think its okay?

What if your kids were outside playing in the garden?

Being civic minded does not give a person and excuse to be presumptuous


----------



## aonfocaleile (6 Mar 2011)

Honestly, I think you're being a bit OTT considering writing a letter. Okay, so it was a bit cheeky to go into your garden, but why not have a quiet word instead. Tidy towns committees do a great job generally. Is it blindingly obvious that its private property or could the piece of land be construed as a common area?


----------



## television (6 Mar 2011)

aonfocaleile said:


> Honestly, I think you're being a bit OTT considering writing a letter. Okay, so it was a bit cheeky to go into your garden, but why not have a quiet word instead. Tidy towns committees do a great job generally. Is it blindingly obvious that its private property or could the piece of land be construed as a common area?


 

Its blindingly obvious its right outside our front window.  My young lad said whos that man in our garden daddy?

The guy could see right in to my front room

Yea a letter is OTT


----------



## PaddyBloggit (6 Mar 2011)

Is there a boundary wall?


----------



## television (6 Mar 2011)

PaddyBloggit said:


> Is there a boundary wall?


 

No its an open area but still very obviously not a common area.


----------



## PaddyBloggit (6 Mar 2011)

I reckon they were overly exuberant and just kept picking up litter as they came across it.

I'd let it go this time. If it happens again I'd have a word with them then.


----------



## television (6 Mar 2011)

PaddyBloggit said:


> I reckon they were overly exuberant and just kept picking up litter as they came across it.
> 
> I'd let it go this time. If it happens again I'd have a word with them then.


 

Yea maybe so.  

Seems a sensible and even handed approach.  Thanks.


----------



## aonfocaleile (6 Mar 2011)

PaddyBloggit said:


> I reckon they were overly exuberant and just kept picking up litter as they came across it.
> 
> I'd let it go this time. If it happens again I'd have a word with them then.



Good advice. There's no point making enemies of members of the community unnecessarily, especially if you're new to the area.


----------



## allthedoyles (6 Mar 2011)

In my opinion , you are right to be annoyed . - If he walks on a nail , is your insurance going to cover the damage .

Once , we left our wheelie bin inside our front garden , and it was not emptied , as insurance does not cover the binmen on private property.


----------



## dogfish (7 Mar 2011)

I would think that the guy thought he was doing you a favour.


----------



## Romulan (7 Mar 2011)

Just someone trying to help the area.

If it is your property, then you should be picking up the litter.


----------



## RonanC (7 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> a local volenteer of the tidy towns rambles up with his litter picker


 You mention something about a complete stranger... how do you know they were a local volunteer of the tidy towns if they were a complete stranger?



nokia said:


> and starts removing litter from the green area directly outide my front window ( I share this area with other semi D on estate half hers half mine) .


 A green area? Is it your driveway? Is it on your property? Who maintains this green area normally? 



nokia said:


> Now I dont want to be un civic minded and I think tidy towns commitees do a great job, but I think the guy has got a hell of a cheek.


 If I was a volunteer for the tidy towns and was walking around your neighbourhood, and saw some litter in a "green area" in front of your house, I would pick it up too. 



nokia said:


> Am I being too touchy here. Thing is it really annoyed me.


 Maybe pick the rubbish up yourself next time and then there wont be a need for volunteers to go around picking up rubbish and annoying you.



nokia said:


> I am tempted to write a letter but dont want to come accross as tetchy especially as I am new to the area.


 Write a letter if it helps you feel better, or maybe next time, get a pair of gloves, a black bag and give them a hand.


----------



## test123 (7 Mar 2011)

You should have been grateful he was picking up your own rubbish


----------



## galwegian44 (7 Mar 2011)

allthedoyles said:


> In my opinion , you are right to be annoyed . - If he walks on a nail , is your insurance going to cover the damage .
> 
> Once , we left our wheelie bin inside our front garden , and it was not emptied , as insurance does not cover the binmen on private property.


 
Aaaaah come on lads, let common sense prevail here. Stop and think for a minute. I work from hom on bin collection day and I wheel my neighbour's bins into their garden from off the street. I'm not worrying about standing on a nail and I'm not going to stop doing it because I'm not insured on their property.

Just do the right thing and stop complicating matters.

Next time you see someone from a local organisation picking up litter in your front garden on a volunteer basis, go out the door and thank him for his efforts. Invite him and his co-workers inside for a cup of tea and a bikkie and don't worry that he might scald himself with the hot liquid or get a sugar rush from the chocolate biscuit.

Let common sense prevail!


----------



## huskerdu (7 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> I would love to volunteer and I will but I am new to the area. So give me time.
> 
> A mans home is his castle and all that.
> 
> ...



If you are the sort of person who does not want to have anything to do with the Tidy Towns committee and local volunteering, by all means write them a letter of complaint. 

If you think that you will be living in this area for a while and would like to make friends and get involved, and not alienate everyone, then take a deep breath, and accept that someone being a bit overenthusiastic about picking up litter is not the worse thing that could happen to you.


----------



## rayn (7 Mar 2011)

*Litter Act*

You are in breach of litter act if there is litter on your land visible from a public place. The Litter warden could issue a fine. It does not matter who put it there. Thank the tidy town committee for keeping the area clean.


----------



## allthedoyles (7 Mar 2011)

rayn said:


> *You are in breach of litter act* *if there is litter on your land visible from a public place*. The Litter warden could issue a fine. It does not matter who put it there. Thank the tidy town committee for keeping the area clean.


 
Well , am delighted to hear this , - there's an opportunity for job creation and boost the Government coffers as well .

Why is this law not been implemented on a regular basis  ?


----------



## television (7 Mar 2011)

test123 said:


> You should have been grateful he was picking up your own rubbish


 

You would be greatful if someone trespassed on your property to pick up your rubbish?

I did not ask him to and more importantly he did not ask me could he trespass on my property.



> You are in breach of litter act if there is litter on your land visible from a public place.


 
Would have no problem with this if it happened although unless you actually have come into my garden you would not have seen the plastic.  It was right outside my window.



> The Litter warden could issue a fine. It does not matter who put it there.


 
I never said it mattered. A litter warden would not issue a fine as it was not visable unless you actually went in to the garden



> Thank the tidy town committee for keeping the area clean.


 
Its hard to feel greatful when someone breaks the law before they do the favour.  Its simple manners.  

Maybe a leaflet drop or an announcement in the local paper and it would have been fine.  There was none.

I agree with people who say to "drop it" for the sake of good relationships.  Thats what I am going to do.


----------



## galwegian44 (7 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> Maybe a leaflet drop or an announcement in the local paper and it would have been fine. There was none..


 
Come on Nokia, loosen up, the guy did you a favour in the end. A leaflet drop would cost money and would result in more litter to be picked up. It's no big deal really.



nokia said:


> I agree with people who say to "drop it" for the sake of good relationships. Thats what I am going to do.


 
Good man!


----------



## zxcvbnm (8 Mar 2011)

Ya - I have to say the OP is completely overreacting.

Like - a guy walked into his front garden to pick up a bit of litter and went on his way.

What is actually the problem here in practice might i ask ?

Do you seriously think he was going to do some harm in all likelihood?

Seriously dude- loosen up. Neighbours like you crack me up.

The guy went in and picked up a bit of litter in the spirit of kindness and went on his way - and you come on here and fume about it.

I genuinley wouldn't care in the least nor would most people. 
OP - it is you that is in the wrong here getting so worked up on some meaningless point of principle.

It's probably fair to say you are hardly the most easy going person out there.


----------



## micmclo (8 Mar 2011)

Join up and help out too, you're new to the area and you'll meet lots of others

The guy deserved a cup of tea or cold drink, not a letter complaining about him.
Don't stress yourself over it


----------



## RMCF (8 Mar 2011)

Pity he had to come into the garden to lift the paper, could you not have done it yourself, then he wouldn't have had to.

He meant no harm, and was onyl trying to make the street or area look better. I think this is a massive case of over reaction.

I lived in a housing development and I saw houses that might have had bits of rubbish lying in their drives or front gardens for months on end, with the owners walking past them many times each day and not bothering their arses lifting it.


----------



## liaconn (8 Mar 2011)

I cannot believe someone would even have considered making a written complaint about this. Talk about looking for something to give out about. I think what he did is called 'being a good neighbour'.


----------



## Sylvester3 (8 Mar 2011)

I often clear up the area around my house, especially when, for instance, a bin gets blown over dispersing rubbish across the street (happens a lot!). I happily venture into my two neighbours gardens (open plan) as I know them, but I wouldn't dare do the same to an owner I didn't know, simply as I don't like people wandering onto my own patch without good reason. I therefore understand the OP's concerns, but I would also keep my peace about it.


----------



## Niall M (8 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> You would be greatful if someone trespassed on your property to pick up your rubbish?
> 
> I did not ask him to and more importantly he did not ask me could he trespass on my property.
> 
> ...


 
how did he see the litter so? if it was right outside your window maybe you could have picked it up yourself....


----------



## Sylvester3 (8 Mar 2011)

Niall M said:


> how did he see the litter so? if it was right outside your window maybe you could have picked it up yourself....



I don't think this is a very fair comment - how do we know that he wouldn't have? For all we know as a community, the litter may have blown there shortly before the volunteer came along to clear it away. Its a bit presumptious to think otherwise.


----------



## RMCF (8 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> I would love to volunteer and I will but I am new to the area. So give me time.
> 
> A mans home is his castle and all that.
> 
> ...



And what?

Are you trying to link someone picking up rubbish with them being a danger to children?


----------



## Leper (9 Mar 2011)

Nokia, There was litter in your driveway.  You should have picked it up yourself but you just could not be bothered.

A person from the Tidy Town Committee did it for you and still you complain.

Get a life, please, and stop moaning about what others have to do for you.


----------



## Niall M (9 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> *No its an open area but still very obviously not a common* area.


 

*Would have no problem with this if it happened although unless you actually have come into my garden you would not have seen the plastic. It was right outside my window.*


How would you not see the plastic if its an open area?


----------



## Staples (9 Mar 2011)

nokia said:


> Sitting down with the kids today in front room when a local volenteer of the tidy towns rambles up with his litter picker and starts removing litter from the green area directly outide my front window ( I share this area with other semi D on estate half hers half mine)
> 
> Now I dont want to be un civic minded and I think tidy towns commitees do a great job, but I think the guy has got a hell of a cheek.
> 
> ...


 
You're turning into Victor Meldrew. It happens all of us to a greater or lesser degree when you approach middle age. It's nothing to be concerned about but you should certainly be aware of it.

Try not to get upset by the intrusion but equally don't feel compelled, as some here have suggested, to either join in or invite them in for a cup of tea. If these people are happy to voluntarily pick up rubbish, fair enough, but it's not like they've offered you a kidney.

You've let off steam here. I bet you feel better already.


----------



## scuby (9 Mar 2011)

OP might be better off teaching kids how to keep their garden clean, pick up rubbish, and if you see a person in future dropping rubbish near your house, then take it out on them and not the local people for trying to have a bit of pride in keeping the area clean.... country shagged and you give out about the local community picking up rubbish ! 
Maybe someone else must have written to them saying the neighbours are very messy with rubbish in their garden. Fair dews to them for spending their own time ceaning up someone else's mess..............rant over :0)


----------



## AgathaC (12 Mar 2011)

I wish the person who picked up the litter lived in my estate! It's usually quite a clean estate but as the long evenings arrive and the summer when the kids are out more, the amount of litter they drop on the green and on drives is unreal!


----------



## Yorrick (13 Mar 2011)

Property prices are bad enough without "neighbours from hell"  like you leaving litter around.
Any chance you could give me that mans name as my garden needs an Spring spruce up.
After he does it then he can go and get a life.


----------



## Bronte (14 Mar 2011)

Nokia you are trolling there is no way someone could be this way about a piece of litter.


----------



## Time (14 Mar 2011)

I just wish than local busybodies would just mind their own business. I am with the OP.


----------



## Staples (14 Mar 2011)

Yorrick said:


> Property prices are bad enough without "neighbours from hell" like you leaving litter around.


 
I think that's a bit uncalled for.  

It was a piece of litter in his garden.  It's not like he has a garden full of rusting car parts.


----------



## Yorrick (15 Mar 2011)

Originally Posted by *Yorrick* http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=1148676#post1148676 
_Property prices are bad enough without "neighbours from hell" like you leaving litter around._
"I think that's a bit uncalled for. 

It was a piece of litter in his garden. It's not like he has a garden full of rusting car parts. "


Just trying to raise a laugh at the whole situation.
If a person is so upset about the local busy body picking up a bit of paper he has little to worry about. 
Why hasn't he rang Joe Duffy about it ?
Surely thats the first thing he should have done ?


----------



## zxcvbnm (15 Mar 2011)

Staples said:


> I think that's a bit uncalled for.
> 
> It was a piece of litter in his garden. It's not like he has a garden full of rusting car parts.


 
Fair enough. But it is fair to say that the OP is clearly one of those contrary neighbours that no one wants to live beside.


----------



## Staples (15 Mar 2011)

zxcvbnm said:


> Fair enough. But it is fair to say that the OP is clearly one of those contrary neighbours that no one wants to live beside.


 
Perhaps. On the other hand, he seems happy with the concept of minding one's own business.  I like that in a neighbour.


----------



## zxcvbnm (15 Mar 2011)

Staples said:


> Perhaps. On the other hand, he seems happy with the concept of minding one's own business. I like that in a neighbour.


 
I also like that in a neighbour. That's a seperate trait to what this thread is about though.

Unfortunatelky he also seems to get quite irate over what would be considered irrelevant principles in most peoples book.

if he could keep the first trait and lose the second one then I would happily live beside him. But not before then might I add !!


----------

