Tipping Dustbin men at Christmas

On a slight aside, my uncle Jim used to be a binman in the 60s and 70s. This was in the day when the old fashioned bin lorry came round and the binmen carried the metal bins over their shoulder and tipped them into the back of the lorry.
What a job !!

 

My uncle does it for Rotherham Council - has done for 30 years. Seen the old and new. He has the following answers:

Q. It's not as hard as it used to be cos there's wheels on them.

A. True, but back then we did about 350 bins a day, now it's about 1000 on average.

Q. My bin is always in a different place to where I put it out.

A. When you're shifting 1000 bins a day, it's a right pain to but them back exactly where it is. If you waste 10 seconds on each bin, then it's 2 and a half hours a day putting back bins.

Q. My binman is miserable.

A. Most of the time we get grief off the public. Moaning about location of bins or spillages. Driving up our arse revving engines. School run is a nightmare. Forgive me if I'm not ecstatic to meet you!

Q. They never take any extra waste

A. Rounds are tailored so each crew fill their lorry twice. If we take extra bags and stuff, and fill up earlier, then we can't fit all the bins in at the end of the round and some work will get left.

Q. They used to get it from round the back of my house.

A. We still do for assisted collections (either disabled or elderly people).

--

He also said that they made about 400 quid in tips between the 3 of them on their round - which was down a bit from last year. He also makes a note of those who tip them, so they maybe can take extra waste from those. He says that he tries to be cheery most of the time, but if it's minus 3, wazzing it down and he's covered in ***** then you'll probably just get a grunt.

 

I live in the country, nothing for half a mile, I'm on what they call the rural farms run, on my third new bin in less than 5 years as they cba to put it where they found it, preferring to leave it in the middle of the road for passing traffic to hit it instead.
No they didn't get a tip.

 

Ooh that's another one I forgot.

You live on the Country Run, or as its known in Rotherham, the CuntRun.

A badge of honour surely.

 

My tip is, if they want a tip, stop tipping’t bin on’t back yard, and tip it in’t bin lorry n tek it tu’t tip!

 

I tipped my binman and he was a right ungrateful bastard. He just stood back up and called me a ****.

 

On a similar one what about tipping delivery drivers when you've paid online?

 

I just hate tipping, not because I'm stingy but it feels awkward but delivery drivers would be top of my list, all the ones that come to my house are cheerful and helpful and I know it's a hard slog fir rubbish pay.

 

I seem to have done well with gifts this xmas.. as a builder, i try to take on and complete smaller jobs so as not to leave materials/unfinished works on people's property.
In the two weeks running up to Crimbo I've received a bottle of red wine along with 2 tins of Millicano coffee. One litre of Smirnoff. Two bottles of bud, a box of Kronenbourg and £30 in cash.

 

Never have tipped them and never will.

 

As a Postie iam saying nowt lol.

 

I used to leave a few cans of beer at the top of the lid when they came in the back garden to collect the bin. However since the bins now need to be took to the street bottom it really isn't wise to do so for obvious reasons. I rarely see the bin men because of work otherwise I would leave them something. Oh and I gave the window cleaner a few quid - they're good lads.

 

My mate does it for BMBC. Gets a small fortune at Xmas in tips and gifs. His round includes a load of OAP bungalow properties and they collect them from the garden and put them back which must help.

He once told me they once checked a bin and it contained 20+ dildos. Not sure what they did with them though.