Things that make you want to cry....

sundin13

Reading the 'what's the point' post below, swimmer mentioned the frustration of making the effort to cycle, then driving past Mums doing the school run in their 4x4s.

Trying to be environmentally friendly does take work, there's no doubt - and there's some things that you see other people doing around you that just make you want to throw your head in your hands and scream.:eek:

For me, it was sitting down in the back yard only to notice that next door had bought themselves a lovely new patio heater. I swear, I wanted to go round and strangle them.

Another was our local newspaper's campaign against the council's move to having a three bin system, and the quotes it published from people who were opposed to it.

What sort of things really rattle your cages....

Sybarite

As you mention, Chelsea tractors are a definite. I hope they're taxed out of existence, I'm all for road tax of 1k on 4x4.A neighbour has two and seems to use them to drive 500 yards. I love the 'its safe for the kids argument' yep save until they get out of the car and breath in 4x more exhaust pollution, not so safe if they happen to be hit by one of the beasts.

The nice people who park outside my apartment block, open their car doors and empty their rubbish into the street (or the ones who are eating and drop each wrapper in succession out of the open car window) they seem to provoke a latent tendency towards violence in me.

Oh forgot, those people who seem to think I should be listening to their car stereo even with my windows shut - especially the generous souls who drive past at 2am with their car windows down and base that rattles my teeth.

In reality the list of irritations is endless though, putting normal rubbish in the communal recycle bin, willfully not recycling, parked cars with their engine running, excess packaging, goods that are uneconomic to repair although only 2 yrs old, fitted halogen downlighters, underfloor heating, economy 7 electricity, car alarms ......I think you've opened Pandora's Box

martinpike

Ignorance, consumerism, keeping up with the jones's and the sheep mentality.

cozzie

I passed a house on Monday (bin & recycling day) which had 2 large wheelie bins and 1 normal sized, yet, no recycling box and I know that only 3 people live there (2A 1C).

Is it really that hard to put something into a box rather than a bin?

My household is the same size, but, my wheelie bin is only ever half full and my recycling box is always overflowing - I feel like the effort that I am making is being cancelled out by people like this.

It really riled me for the day.

Lillibet_2

I'm afraid one thing which has really got my goat recently is Swimmers "whats the point...." thread. I'm sorry to be rude about another forum member, but from someone who claims to have a degree in the related subject & who claims that he does recycle, why on earth would he want to publish a post advoctaing against it? So I guess, ill conceived posts are my biggest grip of the week:o (closely followed by 4x4's, people who use their car for less than 1 mile trips, shops who automatically put everything in plastc bags & Thames water's hosepipe ban without a rebate on my water rates:mad:)

culpepper

It makes me angry when a few good minded people are freecycling and the rest of them are throwing their goods in the council refuse lorry which comes once a month. Just makes me want to go and stand by the lorry and ask if we can have it to freecycle.

Seakay

culpepper wrote:

It makes me angry when a few good minded people are freecycling and the rest of them are throwing their goods in the council refuse lorry which comes once a month. Just makes me want to go and stand by the lorry and ask if we can have it to freecycle.

I think that that is a very good idea, assuming that you have the storage capacity. I think that what puts a lot of people off freecycling is knowing that they will have to give out their details to an Internet stranger. Perhaps you could set up a scheme with your council whereby people put out their items for monthly collection a day or so before the lorry arrives so that others can stroll around the streets and take things if they want them. I think I have read about something similar in a Scandinavian country.

lswwong

Seakay wrote:

Perhaps you could set up a scheme with your council whereby people put out their items for monthly collection a day or so before the lorry arrives so that others can stroll around the streets and take things if they want them. I think I have read about something similar in a Scandinavian country.

I have offered stuff on freecycle before and had some really strange people replying (who also messed about with collection times etc) which now puts me off freecycling.

A friend of mine taught English in Tokyo some time ago. There is a similar scheme there whereby people put unwanted household items out e.g. furniture on a specific day and other people can pick up whatever they want before anything left behind is collected by the waste people. This scheme was rather useful to a couple of hard up "gaijins" sharing a sparsely furnished flat provided by their employer! (A branded chain of EFL schools in Japan.)

culpepper

we did unofficially freecycle a few things before the scheme came here.We just used to put them out the front in our garden with please take me written on them.People walking by did take them but did still knock.
When we had our back boiler and gas fire replaced, a man asked if he could have the old front of the fire as his was falling apart and noticed we had a car sitting in our drive unloved.He said they had the same make and I said he could have it for spares as it hadnt got an MOT and was going for scrap.
The council used to put a skip on the green and we always raided it but then they decided it would be better to have a dustcart with a man round once a month to stop people putting illegal stuff in(asbestos and white goods).

lynzpower

Where to start

I do get rather riled when I see people taking unneccesary carrier bags of course. OH reckons the government should give me a job stalking upto folk and saying " did you NEED that bag" and my favourite phrase "people like you re strangling the planet, take responsibility" ( i dont say this often, usually in jest

Speeding. Ive been known to shout obsenities at drivers bombing down our road with a school on the end and Ive asked for speed cameras to be put up.

Im actually rather against drivers in london in general. A couple of my mates have cars, and the short journeys they do are ridiculous, even when they have a travelcard but what can you do?

Parents say "oh just buy a cheapie dvd player/fridge freezer/ etc , it doesnt matter when it breaks just bin it and buy a new one" :mad:

SATNAVREMOVED

lynzpower wrote:

Where to start

I do get rather riled when I see people taking unneccesary carrier bags of course. OH reckons the government should give me a job stalking upto folk and saying " did you NEED that bag" and my favourite phrase "people like you re strangling the planet, take responsibility" ( i dont say this often, usually in jest

Speeding. Ive been known to shout obsenities at drivers bombing down our road with a school on the end and Ive asked for speed cameras to be put up.

Im actually rather against drivers in london in general. A couple of my mates have cars, and the short journeys they do are ridiculous, even when they have a travelcard but what can you do?

Parents say "oh just buy a cheapie dvd player/fridge freezer/ etc , it doesnt matter when it breaks just bin it and buy a new one" :mad:

But I use the carrier bags as Binbags...Agree with all the rest by the way!