Rubbish !

Acrylic-bob · 19-09-2004, 07:01

I am furious!
I am fuming!
I am incensed, irate, angry, seething, livid and damned near apoplectic !

I received a missive from HBC the other day, addressed to "The Householder". Isn't it funny how they can always remember my name when they want money off me, but at all other times it is just "The Householder ". Well it would be funny if it wasn't so revealing of the complete and utter contempt in which HBC and it's officers hold the electorate.

The point of the missive, is to inform me that the bin men, being sensitive overworked souls, really can't face having to drag a wheelie bin the few yards along the street to the bin wagon, the poor dears, and so I will not be getting a wheelie bin!
Instead it is proposed to issue me with eight coloured bags per month which I will have to keep indoors and drag to the end of the street myself, to "present" to the bin men on collection day.
Needless to say, the coloured bags were NOT delivered and the rubbish I put out in black bags, as usual, was NOT collected. Nor was my neighbour's rubbish. We now face another fortnight in the company of our rotting rubbish before the next scheduled collection, always assuming that the Coloured Bags arrive in time for it. Which I have little confidence will occur.

Is this really the right way to run a refuse service? And is "Service" really the right term to use in describing this latest imposture?

Just who is serving Whom?

You know, I think, it would be easier and less of a pain in the backside if I just carried the rubbish to the tip myself. But I am not going to do that, because I pay HBC, out of my hard earned money, to do that for me.
Where else would you put up with such an appalling service. Can you imagine going into ASDA to ask for a loaf of bread say, and being told that yes, you could have one but you will have to bake it yourself, oh, and by the way, you had better clean up afterwards too?

And then, as if to add insult to injury, they have the bare faced cheek to plaster the top of their missive with the legend "1974-2004 30 years of service to the community". It beggars belief, really it does!

How much longer are we going to put up with this?

KIPAX · 19-09-2004, 07:51

Quote:

How much longer are we going to put up with this?

Until you do something about it would be the simple yet obvious answer

Acrylic-bob · 19-09-2004, 08:02

Oh! And it gets better, or should that be worse?
The cleansing department now admit that they have a fourteen day backlog for clearing waste. A backlog that they themselves have allowed to build up. Surely the way to proceed is to keep the bu**ers working until it is cleared up. This isn’t rocket science folks, it really isn’t that difficult!
But then HBC have to deal with the worst absenteeism record in the County. This following Britcliffes announcement that HBC is the envy of other local authorities. Which would be laughable were it not so depressingly and obviously WRONG!

And HBC’s Cabinet’s response to this crisis of Absenteeism?
Britcliffe: “This has been the subject of the widest consultation and there has been much discussion among everyone concerned”

Pity you didn’t think to consult me, Peter. I could have saved you the trouble.

“We need to recognise that we have had problems with absenteeism and that something needs to be done to solve it.”

So, you mean, you didn’t already know that? Or do you mean that having the worst absenteeism record in the county isn’t always a problem?
Readers will note here that the one thing he doesn’t say is “We had a problem, but it has been sorted out.”

He goes on, “ People pay their Council Tax and we are the guardians of that money. We have a responsibility to make sure we run as efficiently as possible.”

There are new guidelines to deal with this crisis which, we are assured, are “well drawn up and user friendly” and they are That what was a verbal warning will now become a First Caution and what was a Written Warning will now become a Final Caution.

Brilliant! Just Brilliant! Breathtaking! I am amazed!

It is audacious! It is simple! It is bold! It is Authoritative!

And it won’t make a ha’porth of difference !

So bear this in mind when you are surrounded by a sea of rotting refuse, HBC really care and would get around to clearing it up, if only they could persuade some of their workers to actually come in to work now and again. But they are doing their best!

It’s just a pity that their best falls so far short of everybody’s standards.
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Acrylic-bob · 19-09-2004, 08:07

>>Until you do something about it would be the simple yet obvious answer<<

It was a rhetorical question.

WillowTheWhisp · 19-09-2004, 08:16

It doesn't surprise me in the least A-b. I've had enough "rubbish experiences" of my own.

Don't be surprised if they threaten you with court action next for leaving black bags lying around.

As far as doing something about it - I think this is where Disident came in (although his subject was one of urban renewal it's the same principle). When you try to do something you are simply regarded as part of the problem rather than the solution.

Acrylic-bob · 19-09-2004, 08:39

>>you are simply regarded as part of the problem rather than the solution.>>

Well they probably have that much right at least, my mother always said that I was a problem child!

KIPAX · 19-09-2004, 09:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

>>Until you do something about it would be the simple yet obvious answer<<

It was a rhetorical question.

My mistake.. I thought you wanted to change the situation...

Ceejache · 19-09-2004, 10:14

May I suggest to anyone experiencing problems with the refuse fascists to take their bin bags down to the Town Hall and empty them in the lobby - take the mountain to Mohammed!

I haven't had the misfortune of any change in my bin collection protocol as of yet - can't wait. I'm all for recycling but eight different bags seems a bit much and to refuse to take black bin bags is just plain unhygienic.

janet · 19-09-2004, 11:07

In the milnshaw area we received a letter stating that if we leave out black bags next to the bin we will be liable to a £50 fine. I am lucky because living on my own i dont have much rubbish, but some of my neighbours have lots of the stuff even after recycling.

WillowTheWhisp · 19-09-2004, 14:23

I am aware of black bin bags which are left out each week (in a wheelie bin area) not a million miles from my own wheelie bin and they are collected each week along with the contents of bins!

I still have to personally take plastic bottles to the tip for recycling because they won't collect them from here.

Uncle Mick · 19-09-2004, 20:25

Just like janet, I recieved a "naughty boy" letter from the council even though my rubbish is in the wheely bin and the bin is presented in the correct manner, with the handle sticking outwards. Guilty until proven innocent I believe they call it.

Uncle Mick · 19-09-2004, 20:30

Just like janet, I recieved a "naughty boy" letter from the council even though my rubbish is in the wheely bin and the bin is presented in the correct manner, with the handle sticking outwards. Guilty until proven innocent I believe they call it. It also states on the letter that the bins have been introduced as a direct response to residents requests to improve the cleanliness of back streets. I`ve asked a few of my neighbours and none of them remember requesting this. In fact most of them think the scheme wasforced on them!!

WillowTheWhisp · 19-09-2004, 21:10

I think "clean up the back streets" probably comes more under the heading of "bin men should pick up all the stuff they drop" rather than "please can we have a wheelie bin".

Every bin day there is rubbish in greater or lesser quantities blowing/wandering (depending on weather conditons) up and down Ormerod St & Willows Lane. The representative from council refuse department answers complaints with "I don't see how it can be" - If they want to see how it IS never mind how it can be they should come up and have a look. Give them their due, they did send a man in a sweeping vehicle one week but considering he swept on the road that still left an awful lot of rubbish on the pavement.

What do we have to do to ensure we don't continue living in a rubbish dump?

Busman747 · 19-09-2004, 21:33

D.I.Y, Thats the answer. There was a report in the Mail on Sunday this week that told the story of an area which had recently changed to a fortnightly refuse collection.
One particular lady home owner was so mad because she was filling her bin to the top and having to go to the tip herself to get rid of the rest of her rubbish before they were due to arrive, that she bought her own waste disposal van at a cost of £8000.00 and now goes round picking up neighbours rubbish for them! Any volunteers??? Oh, she got a grant of £2000.00 (can't remember who from) towards the cost of the van!
Maybe this is what the future holds for us all? A refuse van owned and driven by the community?

WillowTheWhisp · 20-09-2004, 06:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busman747

Maybe this is what the future holds for us all? A refuse van owned and driven by the community?

But where would we tip the rubbish? (I feel somebody about to say "on the steps of the council offices!)

We had enough problems trying to deliver a trailer full of rubbish to the Whinney Hill tip.