Do bin men still knock looking for money at Christmas?

Gone West · 08-12-2009 1:55am

flynner13 wrote: »

You obviously havnt got a clue how much they get paid...

Moot point, and ignoring my actual post.

"Low end of the scale" is what I said, not necessarily anything to do with money...
Its moreso spending all day surrounded by other peoples rubbish. obviously.

And they don't get paid "extraordinarily" well. I wouldn't work as a bin collector if they offered me triple what I get at the moment.

tech77 · 08-12-2009 8:42am

InKonspikuou2 wrote: »

I remember years ago i opened the door one morning and it was the bin man and he told me he was going to collect the bins. I just said fair play play to ye and went back in. Fúcker woke me up on my first day off work. I didn't know that they knocked on doors looking for money at Christmas. Missed the last two years so not sure if they still do it. Surely with the price of bin tags for the year and people being broke they can't be knocking expecting a tip. Anybody here usually give to them?

Loada rubbish tbh.

Love2love · 08-12-2009 9:06am

I thought that they weren't allowed to be tipped anymore since they brought the bin charges in??? It can be seen as a bribe??? No??

Not sure now but I know they haven't called to my mother's door since.

super_furry · 08-12-2009 9:09am

Can't see why anyone would give them a penny.

monkeypants · 08-12-2009 10:58am

I would tip them something, but it's rare that I'd see one. It used to be that you put out your bin on a certain day each week, but now in Fingal they have to send you a calendar to figure it out.

I don't have a milkman, but there's a lady on a bike who sticks bills through my letterbox and I want to discourage that behaviour.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 08-12-2009 11:07am

BluesBerry wrote: »

My mother used to give the bin men a tin of roses every year without fail
When the charges and new rules came in and didnt collect her bin one week because her bin lid was not closed all the way down t(aken into account forthnightly collections and 8 people in the house) it was not a pretty sight when they knocked on her door that year

More or less the same situation here.

I'm usually a pretty charitable person, esp during the holiday season. It makes me feel good when I see other's feeling good.

But since the bin charges and new rules on what could and could not go into the bin, I was even told that it the bin handles weren't facing the road that the guys weren't obliged to turn the bin around (ffs), their tip stopped (it was usually a bottle of Paddy or a score).

I've a great postman, even my dogs love him. He gets a handsome bonus from me, great bloke altogether.

neilthefunkeone · 08-12-2009 11:20am

If they call to my door they better have a chip and pin device!!

Ross_Mahon · 08-12-2009 11:22am

I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.

Thank you Mr. Pink for your kind words of wisdom

uch · 08-12-2009 11:33am

Miserable fúckers, you's are probably the same shítes who complain when they dont collect your old chrismas tree and the p!ssed on matress thats been in your garden for 7 months, a few quid or a bottle of whiskey goes a long way with these lads, i've often cleared my garden for twenty €25 when a skip is considerably more because they remember that I've given them a few quid at Christmas

phasers · 08-12-2009 11:42am

I bet you're a bin man.

uch · 08-12-2009 11:44am

phasers wrote: »

I bet you're a bin man.

nah evil civil servant, but thats for another thread

monkeypants · 08-12-2009 11:53am

I believe TIP originally stood for To Insure Promptness. What you're suggesting is TITYPURSWINYT which stands for To Insure That You Pick Up Random Stuff When I Need You To.

I generally tip. I don't get to go to restaurants much now that I'm on the dole, just the anniversary last week, but I did leave the 10% because I like the restaurant and the people who run it. Having said that, I still stick a few quid into charity tins when I see them as there are still people much worse off that me.

If I manage to catch the various people who provide services to me this year, I'll give them a bottle of wine.

ItsNoAlias · 08-12-2009 11:53am

I live in an apartment building so it's a non issue but my family used to give a tip. Not anymore hoever but I think its because there is never anyone in.

rubensni · 08-12-2009 12:05pm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Another reason we shouldn't tip binmen is because they collaborate with the use of the dreaded lidded wheelie bin.

These enclosed bins are responsible for starving our wildlife. Foxes, homeless cats and dogs around the city because they cannot reach in and get scraps of food. :mad:

And this is bad how?

GavRedKing · 08-12-2009 12:13pm

Dont think they ever called to our house, that said, I wouldnt give them a tip anyway. Times are tough all round.

opinion guy · 08-12-2009 12:16pm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Another reason we shouldn't tip binmen is because they collaborate with the use of the dreaded lidded wheelie bin.

These enclosed bins are responsible for starving our wildlife. Foxes, homeless cats and dogs around the city because they cannot reach in and get scraps of food. :mad:

So your saying the city would be better if all rubbish was rummaged thru and spread around by scavanging animals ?? Besides aren't there millions of rats for them to catch ?

el judìo wrote: »

Moot point, and ignoring my actual post.

"Low end of the scale" is what I said, not necessarily anything to do with money...
Its moreso spending all day surrounded by other peoples rubbish. obviously.

And they don't get paid "extraordinarily" well. I wouldn't work as a bin collector if they offered me triple what I get at the moment.

Just because you look down on people for taking care of your rubbish don't assume the rest of us do. Low end of the scale and you weren't talkign about money ?? Tsch!!!! Class-ist

Capt'n Midnight · 08-12-2009 2:55pm

Did the revenue ever chase them up on undeclared income ?

The job description has changed a lot over the years, from carrying and lifting to rolling a wheelie bin, lifting now done by machine. Risks have reduced a lot , I know of one guy who was out of work for weeks because of broken glass in a plastic bag :eek:

It's not the binmen's fault that the cost of bins has gone up , but their wages have gone up too. There are also private companies and most of the local bin collections are subcontracted out. So it's not council employees doing as it used to be.

Perhaps if you gave them the receipt stub so they could claim back the tax on it ??

slipss · 08-12-2009 3:08pm

Growing up my Da always used to give them a few quid but that was back when they'd lob the oul bunk bed or some such into the truck for you. Since the wheelie bins came in and they started charging us extra for them but doing less work and refusing to take them for stupid reasons, they don't anymore. Last year I was there, the conversation went thusly:

Binman: Happy Christmas!
Old Man Slipss: Happy Christmas yourself.
Binman: I'm your binman.
Old Man Slipss: Good to meet ye. There was no need to call in to thank me in person though.
Binman: Sorry?
O.M.S: You're the binman yeah? Well that makes me the man that's been paying your wages all year. Or didn't you see all those tags on the bin? Tell your kids they're welcome for the presents.

sweetie · 08-12-2009 3:22pm

I wouldn't tip the binmen cos they can be awkward - postman maybe but they often deliver the regular post when I'm there and then when I go to leave there's a slip for collection of some parcel at the depot and I end up having to do their job so I think I'll leave it

godtabh · 08-12-2009 3:30pm

RMD wrote: »

My dad planned it perfectly last year.

A binman came up to the gaff and knocked on the door, obviously enough looking for a tip. My dad handed him two blacksacks that had been sitting in the shed for a while and smelt like ****e, swiftly closed the door before the binman could even say a word.

The bastard kicked the side of the bags, rupturing them and leaving the ****e for me and my dad to pick up while they drove off in the bin lorry.

Good on the bin man

Run_to_da_hills · 08-12-2009 3:36pm

opinion guy wrote: »

So your saying the city would be better if all rubbish was rummaged thru and spread around by scavanging animals ?? Besides aren't there millions of rats for them to catch ?

And song birds :mad:

Slunk · 08-12-2009 3:36pm

Dunno about the binman but my mam gives the postman a bottle of wine I think. Dont mind what they do with my rubbish, I want my new items to arrive safe and sound

thirtythirty · 08-12-2009 3:44pm

gavredking wrote: »

Dont think they ever called to our house, that said, I wouldnt give them a tip anyway. Times are tough all round.

Times are tough all round? Is that your statement!?

So lets get this straight (this is not aimed at you gavredking individually now, but the majority of posters here). These guys do arguably one of the worst jobs there is, with pretty much no chance of promotion or movement, come to your door to collect your waste, and you're all so cheap that you wouldn't even give them a fiver!? If i ever saw any of you face to face i'd bitch-slap you.

It's embarrassing to call yourselves irishmen. What hope has the country for pulling itself up off the ground if you all think "nope. we're in a recession, times are difficult. I have to cope and so do they".

Cuddlesworth · 08-12-2009 4:57pm

At the point where some rules were brought into place to stop messers and these were rigidly and happily enforced by the bin men with no compromise or reasonable judgement(handles towards the road, lid 100% perfectly closed, nothing on a huge list in it etc..), is when people in my old area told them to go F*ck off. And rightly so.

You reap what you sow.

weeder · 08-12-2009 5:05pm

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I'd tip them all except for the guy that drives the truck. That truck is always blocking my path. The driver must die.

But, I don't think they'll be knocking at my door due to what happened just before halloween. I was showing my 'soldier' costume to my mate and he opened the front door. The poor binman got a bit of a fright seeing a guy standing in the hallway dressed in full combats, covered in camo paint with an G3-SG1 rifle strapped across his back and an M1911 pistol holstered in his cross-draw vest. I probably shouldn't have said "You didn't see anything" to him in a rather menacing tone either.

But yeah, I'll tip them.

thats a baaaaaad airsofter.

CrazyRabbit · 08-12-2009 5:30pm

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

I'd tip them all except for the guy that drives the truck. That truck is always blocking my path. The driver must die.

But, I don't think they'll be knocking at my door due to what happened just before halloween. I was showing my 'soldier' costume to my mate and he opened the front door. The poor binman got a bit of a fright seeing a guy standing in the hallway dressed in full combats, covered in camo paint with an G3-SG1 rifle strapped across his back and an M1911 pistol holstered in his cross-draw vest. I probably shouldn't have said "You didn't see anything" to him in a rather menacing tone either.

But yeah, I'll tip them.

weeder wrote: »

thats a baaaaaad airsofter.

Oh seeing me wasn't deliberate. I wasn't expecting the door to be opened. But I did have a little fun once the situation presented itself.

ED E · 08-12-2009 6:03pm

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Oh seeing me wasn't deliberate. I wasn't expecting the door to be opened. But I did have a little fun once the situation presented itself.

"Mister Wabbit, before you die, you can have one wast wish!"

rubensni · 08-12-2009 8:42pm

spottyelephant wrote: »

Times are tough all round? Is that your statement!?

So lets get this straight (this is not aimed at you gavredking individually now, but the majority of posters here). These guys do arguably one of the worst jobs there is, with pretty much no chance of promotion or movement, come to your door to collect your waste, and you're all so cheap that you wouldn't even give them a fiver!? If i ever saw any of you face to face i'd bitch-slap you.

It's embarrassing to call yourselves irishmen. What hope has the country for pulling itself up off the ground if you all think "nope. we're in a recession, times are difficult. I have to cope and so do they".

Frankly, you can go to hell with that sort of talk.
A lot of people have lost their jobs in the last year and to boot the Christmas bonus is gone off the dole with another cut due tomorrow. Charity begins at home, especially if it's a situation where there is very little cash around. Noone forced them to become bin men and in a capitalist society where wages are set by the market they do the job because they're willing and able to do it for the wages, not for the Christmas collection.

If you're that generous that you can afford to give cash to the butcher, baker and candlestick maker maybe you'd consider giving a few bob to the St Vincent de Paul or the like. It will go a lot further then the money Mr Binman and his mates will spend down the boozer on the 23rd.

mikemac · 08-12-2009 8:57pm

rubensni wrote: »

Frankly, you can go to hell with that sort of talk.
A lot of people have lost their jobs in the last year and to boot the Christmas bonus is gone off the dole with another cut due tomorrow. Charity begins at home, especially if it's a situation where there is very little cash around. Noone forced them to become bin men and in a capitalist society where wages are set by the market they do the job because they're willing and able to do it for the wages, not for the Christmas collection.

Yep, a lot of people lost their jobs
And many of these staff are permanent and working for the council they have a a safe(ish), secure and pensionable job. Far more job security then the majority of workers on their round.
It's not a bad job by any means, outdoors and a regular wage.

I don't tip the binmen but the local postman gets a tin of Roses and a tip every Christmas. Man is a legend, he's been serving the area for over 30 years! So I'm told anyway, I'm too young :cool:
And in a rural areas there are no house numbers of estates and the postman needs to know everyone and also their children too. Well worthy of a tip, deliverying post in a town with estates would be easy in comparison

thirtythirty · 08-12-2009 10:26pm

rubensni wrote: »

Frankly, you can go to hell with that sort of talk.
A lot of people have lost their jobs in the last year and to boot the Christmas bonus is gone off the dole with another cut due tomorrow. Charity begins at home, especially if it's a situation where there is very little cash around.

Ok i had a big post prepared talking about everything you brought up, but i'm just going to leave it by saying that firstly i sincerely apologise if i offended you due to whatever position you are currently in or due to giving the impression that i was flippent with giving money, however I still believe that Ireland right now has no room for bull-headed tight fistedness. Dont give money if you dont want to, but do not take the position that nobody deserves anything until you are back in a comfortable position.

uch · 09-12-2009 10:33am

spottyelephant wrote: »

Ok i had a big post prepared talking about everything you brought up, but i'm just going to leave it by saying that firstly i sincerely apologise if i offended you due to whatever position you are currently in or due to giving the impression that i was flippent with giving money, however I still believe that Ireland right now has no room for bull-headed tight fistedness. Dont give money if you dont want to, but do not take the position that nobody deserves anything until you are back in a comfortable position.

wholeheartedly agree, well done that man

Gummy Panda · 09-12-2009 10:41am

spottyelephant wrote: »

If i ever saw any of you face to face i'd bitch-slap you.

No you wouldn't. Keyboard warrior is so last year.

I_luv_2_ski! · 09-12-2009 11:56am

B.E.S.T. wrote: »

How about your Postman/woman. Anything for them?

our post woman is brilliant and will be getting a tip!!! we live in the sticks and the lane down to our house if full of pot holes (soon to be fined thank god)

yet everyday the post woman comes down and delivers the letters and packages...if theres no one home and she has a package she'll find and open window or hide it some where and leave a note in the post box...shes always smiling and even went one day to collect our post off an other post person cause it ended up in the wrong van!!!

i was leaving one day to post some letters and she took them for me as she was going to the sorting office anyway!!! i cant complain about her at all!!!

as for our bin men...when we first moved into the house (may last year) we had to drag the bin over a mile up the pot holed road to get them to collect it...when mam finally got them to come down if the bin wasn't at the gate it didnt get collected even though our drive way is plenty big enough to fit a truck for turning...at one stage they didnt collect the blue (recycling) and brown (food) three times in a row...a month and a half cause they get collected bi weekly even though mam rang thorntons...(supposedly are bins weren't outside the gate) and dad ended up having to put them in the tralior and bring them to coolmine to be emptied!!!

they deff wont be getting a tip!!!

Gonzales · 10-12-2009 4:34am

el judìo wrote: »

Stingy people!
on the extreme low end of the scale

What does this mean in money terms? 10E/hour? just curious.
anybody?

zebrafumbler · 10-12-2009 5:00am

Me and my housemate answer the door to no one, be they man or beast. We avoid with extreme prejudice any involvement with society.

starbelgrade · 10-12-2009 5:11am

rubensni wrote: »

It will go a lot further then the money Mr Binman and his mates will spend down the boozer on the 23rd.

My bin collection is on the 24th, so he better not be in the boozer the night before.. he could end up in the back of the waste disposal truck. think of the mess.

starbelgrade · 10-12-2009 5:12am

zebrafumbler wrote: »

Me and my housemate answer the door to no one, be they man or beast. We avoid with extreme prejudice any involvement with society.

Why do you even have a front door? Block it up & use the back one.

itsallaboutme!! · 10-12-2009 8:44am

like others have said i haul my bin out before 7.30am on collection day to the side of the kerb, handle side facing the road. the bin truck comes along at whatever time it feels like it, some days before 9am others at nearly 9pm when the road is jammed with residents cars. then i have to go out and find my bin and haul it back as they have left it god knows where.

when the strike(which im not complaining about!) was on a few weeks back i missed out on a green recycling bin collection so after another 2 weeks of recycling my green bin was overflowwing. i rang council to see if i left out extra stuff beside the bin would it be collected as my bin was full having missed the previous collection. i was told yep no bother they will take it away just leave it tied up on the ground next to your green bin. i did as i was told and went out to collect my bin later that evening to find the extra stuff left in bits all over the road. they never bothered to take it and as a result it was pulled apart by local cats and dogs. i then had to go round picking it all up again.

so let them knock on my door ill have a few tips ready for them alright!

Mad_Max · 10-12-2009 8:56am

spottyelephant wrote: »

Times are tough all round? Is that your statement!?

So lets get this straight (this is not aimed at you gavredking individually now, but the majority of posters here). These guys do arguably one of the worst jobs there is, with pretty much no chance of promotion or movement, come to your door to collect your waste, and you're all so cheap that you wouldn't even give them a fiver!? If i ever saw any of you face to face i'd bitch-slap you.

It's embarrassing to call yourselves irishmen. What hope has the country for pulling itself up off the ground if you all think "nope. we're in a recession, times are difficult. I have to cope and so do they".

Be didly if you were the minister for finance.

As for the worst job, I don't know how you quantify it but if it
's filth wise, I have done dirtier jobs than what they do now.

10-12-2009 9:23am

I ****ing hate tips.
We are not living in America! Minimum wage is a living wage.
Your not getting a ****ing tip for doing what your paid to do!

Vyse · 10-12-2009 9:59am

I don't think I've seen a bin man knock on the door for the last 20 years or so. Ever since the service has become privatised there has been a sharp decline in this. Would imagine that it happens more often in rural/ small communities.

Don't see the need to give them a tip though. They get paid for a service they provide.

Degsy · 10-12-2009 2:49pm

I was told if i didnt pay my rubbish bill this year they'd stop delivering.

Lux23 · 10-12-2009 3:05pm

I live in an apartment so never see any bin men but my parents would still give the a few quid for their Christmas party but I don't think they actually knock the door for it people just give it if it suits them.

dylano_k · 10-12-2009 4:03pm

A bin man is doing his morning rounds loading up the dustbin van when he gets to a house that hasn't put its wheelie bin out. Since he is running a little early, he decides to do a good deed and has a look around to see if they'd left it in the back garden... but he doesn't find them. Being the kind bin man he is, he decides to save the residents a week of having rubbish stinking out their house so he goes up to the door and knocks.
No reply.
He knocks again.
No reply.
He knocks really long and hard... and finally hears footsteps running down the stairs. A little chinese man opens the door wearing only a towel and looking flustered.
Bin man: "Sorry to bother you mate but I'm collecting the rubbish... where's ya bin?"
Chinese man: "I... err... I bin... I been in the bath!"
Bin Man: "No no no - where's ya BIN?"
Chinese man: "I just say! I been in the bath!"
Bin Man: "No mate... listen... Where's... Ya... Wheelie... Bin?"
Chinese Man: "Awaite, awaite, God... I weally been having a wánk!"

No tips ? not even for This Guy??

dragonbet · 10-12-2009 7:32pm

I'd give them a tip being Christmas and all.......

"Don't eat yellow snow"

ibarelycare · 18-12-2009 11:04am

We've always left a few quid for the binmen at Christmas. This morning my mam stuck €20 in an envelope and taped it to the bin, as she does every year. We live on a very quiet road so there's never been any problem with leaving the money there (at the back of the bin, so passing traffic can't see). About half an hour after she put the envelope out, she checked and it was gone, and the bin hadn't been emptied! Either someone was out on the prowl this morning or the binmen stuck their nose up at the €20 tip :pac:

Do bin men still knock looking for money at Christmas?

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