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| a typical view of my road |
Where I live there has been a rather long strike of
bin men refusing to work because of some dispute over working hours, job changes and redundancies. It has,
of course, affected the public, but it seems we don't count in this disturbance. All trash, including garden waste and
recycling materials, is no longer collected. Well, I lie, some men did come to
collect stuff but they weren’t legitimate refuse collectors. They worked for the
council but not on the bins and they did it to remove stuff from the roads. The worst of it is that the strike is likely to go on until Christmas which has most people crying 'Heaven help us'.
Some folk in neighbouring areas just throw out
their rubbish, making no attempt to bag it properly or at all with the
consequence that they became inundated with rats and other undesirable
creatures. I was furious when I read about it. It doesn’t take a minute to bag
anything that would encourage wildlife, or seal stuff to stop smells. As my
neighbour said, they don’t all think like me!
It has been several weeks now and my road is
still a picture. You wouldn’t know there was a strike on. Why? Because people
here are proud of their environment and make every effort to keep it clean and
tidy. Our wheelie bins are carefully filled, boxes are folded so they fit into
the bins, plastic bottles are squashed down to nothing, and food leftovers are
sealed to avoid foxes getting the smell.
Our televisions are full of pictures like of other areas
and the mess residents have made. You would think their roads were actual tips.
I was so incensed by the reports of constant bickering and apparent
helplessness in other areas that I sat down and wrote this for insertion in the
local newspaper.
“At this time of strikes and turmoil I feel compelled to write in praise
of the majority of residents in Sutton Coldfield, in particular Conchar and
neighbouring roads. Throughout the upheaval caused by the current dispute
between bin-men and council we have seen pictures and film of the rubbish left
on streets. It is noticeable that bags of rubbish are thrown on heaps, along
with discarded boxes etc, without any thought that we, the public, might help
to tidy things up. This is not in support of strikers but for our own feeling
of well-being.
Not once in all
the weeks of upheaval has rubbish been dumped on the road where I live. Admittedly some residents dispose of it by
taking it to the proper refuse collection points, but not everyone can do this.
Instead they tidy things up. What is to stop others from flattening boxes or
indeed cutting them so they lie flat. Most of us do this anyway, strike or no
strike. It takes no time at all to make disposal easier by securing bags so
that nothing falls out or pack them so they fit into wheelie bins. We do it
anyway, strike or no strike. It’s all a matter of pride and common-sense.”
We live in a residential area near the centre of London and it is disgraceful how bad our rubbish collection is. The place looks like a slum all the time. Of course it is because the council is so starved of money by the government that it has to make economies more and more - I know they do their best and they do have many other social problems to deal with, rescuing children, and dealing with many people with appalling accommodation problems. I think successive governments for years have neglected cities
ReplyDeleteHaving a strike last until Christmas simply isn't good enough. It's an essential service in the community which has to continue to operate. Well done to the residents who surely are due a Council Tax rebate.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny. You are absolutely right, but it's very frustrating having to put up with the consequences. Perhaps the general public should go on strike! Some of us pay for the use of a wheelie bin for garden refuse.... wonder if we can get a rebate!
ReplyDeleteTreey, I am in total agreement with you but what can we do.... we can't go on strike!
ReplyDeleteWe pay a private service here because we live in the country. It would probably stack up here too, if we didn't have the service. I shudder at the thought. Do those with cars have a place to drop off refuse, like a dump or recycle center?
ReplyDeleteBRAVA, Valerie! LOVED your letter. So well-written!
ReplyDeleteLiving in a city (and a UNION city), I too have been through this many times, and it's horrible. And they purposely choose summertime to have their strikes because they know that the heat and humidity of summer will make the smell of garbage more intense, knowing they will get their way.
In general, over the past three years, Philadelphia has gotten dirtier and dirtier. It used to be a clean city, but no more. Only certain areas do the people of this city take pride in their neighborhood.
Hope this gets solved before Christmas because that's a long time.
Have a great Wednesday, my friend!
Ron, that's disgusting. At least our lot are striking as the cold weather hits us. Mind you, I think the smell in some areas must be atrocious and very noticeable. The way things are going the dispute won't be solved before Christmas. I think the striking men will lose a lot of friends if that happens. We pay rates for this service and a separate fee for the garden refuse bin. Many people are talking about making a claim on the council.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, there are refuse centres but not everyone has a car and old folk couldn't handle the haulage necessary to dump rubbish.
ReplyDeleteSome people have no pride at all. Our street is a reflection of all who live on it. Can't believe they're going to be on strike till Christmas.
ReplyDeleteA strike for a week or two would make the point. They should go back to work with the threat to strike again if negotiations are not addressed.
ReplyDeleteGovernment should hire part timers to at least reduce the mess until things are solved, and the threat to simply fire everyone and rehire would not be unfair given the importance of keeping living areas free of trash. Reagan did it in the US over air traffic controllers striking and I don't recall a significant strike against government since.
Hi Janet. Christmas is the aim of the strikers, I can't see the public tolerating the situation until then.
ReplyDeleteThat letter was brilliant Valerie and I applaud you and your neighbors for this valiant effort keeping everywhere tidy. I thought those strikes were a thing of the past. I remember them happening at the worst times. Do hope this can be resolved for you all long before Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that you have a strike like this going on, especially with trash pickup, but when you don't have enough pride in yourself to try at least to pick up after yourself that is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteYour letter is spot on, you did a good job with it.
Great letter, it makes so much sense. I've never been through a garbage strike but wouldn't just throw it in the streets. We work hard to make our yard look nice and sure wouldn't stop at what goes on behind our house in the alley. I hope it doesn't last till Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Denise, the intention is to keep the strike going until Christmas or the New Year. I think by then the British public will be complaining. Strikes were things of the past at one time but they are gradually becoming more frequent. Unions.... they should be ashamed.
ReplyDeleteHi Jimmy, trouble is - what do we do with the rubbish if we do pick it up. We do have refuse centres but I couldn't get to one unless I took a taxi and I don't think a taxi driver would like that.
ReplyDeleteJoeh, they started with threats and short 'down tools' periods, but when it didn't work more extreme measures were taken. I find it difficult to sympathise with any of them!
ReplyDeleteHi kden, I wish some of our people thought like you. Oh well, at least where I live they're all decent enough to keep the roads tidy.
ReplyDeleteYour letter was well done, Valerie, and it's a pity that more folks in other areas are not as conscious as you and your neighbors. We live in an apartment building now. We know that not everyone is responsible at bringing recyclables to the proper location or or condensing and bagging their garbage rather than simply tossing it down the trash chutes. Perhaps it's because we're former homeowners that we notice these infractions more. I hope that your strike is over before Christmas as that really is so far away1
ReplyDeleteBeatrice, when I was doing social work I had to visit various locations and I agree with you that not everyone has tidy minds. If only some people would stop and think; our living environments would be better places.
ReplyDeleteNicely done with your letter, Val. Glad to hear that you and your neighbors still care and have some pride. As somebody much more famous than me said: "Common sense isn't so common." Take care.
ReplyDeleteMatt, I had't heard that common sense comment before. How appropriate! Yes, the neighbours are treating the wheelie bin as they would their homes, stacking properly and carefully so that they don't disturb their frontages too much.
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