Dear LPG, 

The pictures I have asked LPG to post illustrate a question that crosses my mind nearly every Thursday morning, and I wonder if I am the only person that could do with an answer.

 I would love to know if it is something that affects more than just me.  In my case most Thursdays turn out to be the days that the bins are emptied, and for the most part I think that the people that do the job do a reasonable one.  We are now used to the new ‘different bins every other week’ regime and I wonder if other readers remember a couple of years ago when each household in the borough was left a note warning that we have to make sure that rubbish is left at the front of the house if we want it collected.  I understand the logic behind that but I really don’t understand why, when they have emptied the bins, our bin men can’t replace them in a better way than they so often do.

I don’t expect them to put each bin back at the right house, after all their time is important, but I do expect them not to leave the bins right in front of peoples gates and driveways and, at times, in the middle of the pavement.  

After all, we drag all our rubbish out for their convenience because we have been made to accept that their time is important, but they often leave bins right in front of our drives, even though at other times they can find adequate space to put them by the walls in a more responsible fashion.  When the refuse collectors are doing their jobs, they are dressed for purpose, but in these times when hygiene and hand washing is so important it is a little unfair that, when we are dressed and ready to leave the house with our own time restrictions, we are often forced, while not dressed appropriately, to have to move bins in order to do so; and that is before the drivers and disabled are considered. To have to get out of your car when arriving home because there are a line of bins obstructing the path to your drive can be dangerous apart from anything else.

Surely time is important for all and, in order to do their job as efficiently as possible our help is needed, but it appears to me that this is one of many one-way council and government rules that are made to suit them and where they forget that we tax payers have time issues too.  

I find it really annoying to find two or even three bins obstructing my driveway as the pedestrians who pass by have to dodge the obstacle course that is left behind them, and while I understand that, the bins might not always be left exactly outside the right house after being emptied and in some streets there is limited room to do better,  I feel that the bin men need to be reminded that our time is equally as important as there’s and more care should be taken by them when it comes to placing emptied bins back on the street.  

SP, Lewisham