Monday, April 25, 2011

One More Case Of Strange...!


It's getting to where I'm afraid to even pick up the paper!

All around the globe, it just seems to me that things are crazy, ya know?

Grandmother staggered after council refuses to collect her bins because weeds had soil on them

By James Tozer
Last updated at 1:27 AM on 23rd April 2011

After giving her garden a good spring clean with the help of her grandson, Kay McIntyre dutifully tossed the uprooted weeds into the green waste bin.

But the 74-year-old was amazed when binmen refused to collect it – because they claimed the plants had too much mud stuck to their roots.

When she complained, Mrs McIntyre did not receive an apology but was instead visited by a ‘community recycling officer’, who was sent to sift through her wheelie-bin and examine just how dirty its contents were.

Yesterday the grandmother said she was ‘staggered’ by the bureaucracy which had gone into handling her well-intentioned recycling drive, after officials finally relented and arranged for her bin to be emptied.

Mrs McIntyre’s son Andy, father of her gardening helper, eight-year-old Jack, added: ‘It’s the lunatics in charge of the asylum. Are we going to be asked to wash our weeds next?

‘This is council taxpayers’ money. That’s why councils are in the mess they are in.

‘There’s someone sitting there thinking of parameters for weeds and soil. It’s utter madness.’

Mrs McIntyre had been sprucing up the garden of her home in Bramhall, Stockport, with Jack before putting the weeds in her green bin and leaving it out for collection. But after the binmen had been, she found it was still there, still full – and had a sticker on it from Stockport Council which read: ‘The contents of your wheelie bin are not suitable for collection.’

When she rang for an explanation, town hall bosses told her she would have to sort through the rubbish by herself. She refused, prompting the council to send a ‘community recycling officer’ to check the amount of soil in the bin.

‘This inspector actually put her hand in, right down in the bin, to check that what I was saying was truthful,’ Mrs McIntyre said.

‘She was looking for soil. I can understand it if they found a bin where people had been digging up soil or sweeping up glass and putting it in the bin. But in this instance I’m staggered.’

The council eventually relented, and explained there was a problem with the machine that crunches up its garden waste.

Binmen were being trained to assess how much soil had been left clinging to residents’ weeds, Mrs McIntyre was told.

Megan Black, head of environmental services at the council, said: ‘The green bin was reported as contaminated by the collection crew. We are unable to accept soil as part of the materials we can collect and this is clearly stated on the green bin lids.

‘However, after making contact with the resident, a community recycling officer visited the property and assessed that on this occasion the bin could be emptied.

‘Residents are reminded that soil should not be placed in the green bin and advised that soil should be knocked off any plants before being put in the green bin.’ The row comes just days after the Government warned councils not to introduce ‘backdoor’ charges for bin bags or collecting household rubbish, and is the latest in a series of bizarre bin-related incidents.

Last year Walsall council warned residents not to place dead leaves swept from outside their homes in garden waste bins, saying it would ‘contaminate’ them and could incur a £1,000 fine.

Keen gardener John Mason, 64, from Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, was boycotted by collectors for putting rotten apples in his bin, and 73-year-old retired milkman Barry Freezer, from West Earlham, Norwich, suffered the same fate for putting in cabbage stalks.

Both were told the rubbish was kitchen waste and not suitable for composting.

In addition to their green bin for garden and food waste, householders in Stockport are issued with a blue bin for paper and card, a brown bin for plastic bottles, glass and cans, and a black one for everything else.

The Liberal Democrat-led council is expected to cut 350 jobs as it attempts to save about £53million over five years.

I know that this doesn't sound like such a big deal to most folks, but it just sounds crazy to me...that's all!

Let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside! I hope you all have a great day!

13 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

It's a wonder they didn't arrest her!

Sixbears said...

One more case of cracking down on the little people instead of fixing the big problems.

JoJo said...

First of all if he would have taken my hand and shoved in the bin he would still be sporting a black eye. Since when is it all right to put your hands on someone in a forceful manner. People are trying to do the right thing but they seem to be loseing. All those bins wouldn't even fit on my property.
Yes please pass the pot.

Phelan said...

soil is dirty. It should not ever be around civilized people!

Caddie said...

I'm with you - crazy, crazy, crazy! Blooming nuts abound anymore. Today I have some of the blackest compost - and WORMS doing the job/work on cabbage and coffeegrounds and all else that returns to soil.

It appears to me the smarter "they" get, the more stupid they become. I'll say again: they must be putting something in the water! - a joke yet...?

I'll keep my own counsel, do my own gardening thing.

Hermit, having enough coffee this morning, I thank you BUT can I have your coffee grounds? HaHa.

Anonymous said...

What an odd story!
What are they doing with the recycled garden waste, new soil? In that case I really can´t understand this at all.
But if they use it to make methane gas I have just a tine bit of understanding for it :-) :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

IanH said...

I will have the coffee, and reflect on the craziness of a bureaucracy out of control! If they want to save money, get rid of the inspectors and get on with business.

Kellie said...

why are they giving the city all that wonderful compost???? Keep it I say!!! and tell the city council where they can put their little "greenie bin"!!!

HermitJim said...

Hey Gorges...
It does seem like that would have been their next step, if they follow along the same crazy path!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Sixbears...
Boy, that is certainly true! Easier to pick on the little folks, I guess!

Thanks, buddy, for coming by today!


Hey JoJo...
When they get all this stuff back to the yard, they probably dump it all together anyway!

Thanks, sweetie, for coming by today!

HermitJim said...

Hey Phelan...
Just imagine...having dirty weeds! Oh, the shame of it all!

They would be totally shocked if they came to my house during gardening season!

Thanks for dropping by today!


Hey Sissy...
Seems like the crazies are in charge of the asylum, for sure!

Just keep on doing what you are doing...you'll be fine!

Many thanks for coming by today!


Hey Christer...
No telling what they are doing with what they collect!

Things are getting totally out of hand, I think!

Thanks, my friend, for coming by today!


Hey Ian...
I'm thinking that things are nuts everywhere!

Living in the country might be the only way to get away from all the madness!

My friend, I really appreciate you coming by today!

HermitJim said...

Hey Kellie...
I know I'd certainly be more than happy to take it off their hands!

Just like "black gold" to a gardener!

Thanks, my friend, for coming over this morning!

Curt said...

Here is the real problem; See, the elected dolts, as well as the hired idiots have to take a test to ensure they can do their job. This test consists of using a plain board with two holes drilled in it, one square and one round. Two pegs are also furnished, one square and one round. IF the one being tested places the square peg in the round hole...they are hired...or elected.

HermitJim said...

Hey Curt...
I was wondering just how that worked! Thanks for explaining it so well!

I really appreciate you coming by today!