Council snooping on my drinking habits (matter resolved - its a scam!)

davidlizard

We have alternative weekly bin collections, with a separate container that is for glass. This is collected every other week.

Recently we have celebrated my wife's birthday and one of our children's birthdays. We had 20 or so people around for each so consequently the glass bin is very full of wine and beer bottles.

We get a letter today (hand delivered, from the council), saying that they notice we "may be" consuming "significantly more alcohol than average". There then follows some phone numbers for advice, including some workshop the council run, and a "drink aware" leaflet.

Firstly I fail to see what business this is of my local councils and why they feel it necessary to waste my council tax on services that are not really anything to do with the council. If I want to get bladdered in my own home then thats my business and not theirs. However I now do wonder what databases I have been added to.

Its not as if I drink much anyway - a glass of wine or two with the occasional meal and perhaps 5 pints max on a very rare night out.

We have council elections today so the first thing I am going to do is contact my new councillor and ask them to look into this.

paulofessex

I would see if the local paper is interested in the story.

Psykicpup

My Gosh thats awful!

shellsuit

Hand delivered?!

What bloody business is it of theirs?

Oh I would be fuming if I were you!

Absinthe_Fairy

That's terrible!

I would be furious if I was you. What business is it of theirs?

pulliptears

shellsuit wrote: »

Hand delivered?!

What bloody business is it of theirs?

Oh I would be fuming if I were you!

And me!!!

I wonder if people who's bins are full of fag packets, cake wrappers and take away wrappers can expect similar advice?

shellsuit

They've got a damn cheek.

When they're collected, they don't tick each house off a list do they, so how do the idots know that the bottles and cans weren't put there over a period of times, say 6 months?!

If I were you, I'd respond to the letter and tell them the bottles and cans were from having a wake at your home.

That should shut the fekkers up.

tomtiddly

That's pretty shocking :S

We regularly fill our blue-top bin with Whiskers cans... am I going to have to watch out for council employees trying to run over my cats?!

Cool_Username

That's pretty amazing that they would do that - do binmen take that much notice then or just empty the bin straight into the wagon. I mean the binman would have had to notice the amount of cans, take a note of your address, get in touch with someone higher up then a letter would have to be despatched and so on.

I hate to be suspicious but is this for real?

tomtiddly wrote: »

We regularly fill our blue-top bin with Whiskers cans... am I going to have to watch out for council employees trying to run over my cats?!

How is council employees trying to kill your cats in any way comparable with the council sending a letter to someone commenting on their drinking habits?

PHYTHIAN

Hope they don't start doing that round my way, they'll insist I go into rehab some weeks.

My job means I have to be careful what and when I drink. When I am in work next day I don't drink at all but when I'm off for a few days:-

:beer::dance::beer::dance::beer:_party_

maninthestreet

Send a letter back stating you are, in fact, teetotal, and the alcohol was all consumed by people who had attended your party. Post it to them, and forget to put a stamp on it.