# My neighbor threw tuna fish in my recycling can **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2013, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567 "2013-12-05T12:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/101 "2013-12-06T18:39:08Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Sure there are, but we expect these kinds of situations to involve murder and suicide. > > So recycling is kind of a let down. > > Regards, > Shodan To be fair, we don’t know how all this will play out. If I was the OP’s neighbour, I’d sleep light. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/102 "2013-12-06T19:57:15Z")
I don’t think the OP is the only one overreacting in this thread. Yeah, the stuff about thinking the neighbor is acting catty and vindictive is a bit projecting without other information to put it in context, and raises the question if you feel that way about that neighbor, why did she ask that lady to take care of “her” stray cat? It’s a _stray_ cat - they’re pretty good about finding food. Why do you think stray cats are proliferating? And I think **DataX** provided a reasonable possibility for what happened. That said, I totally understand the complaint about dumping tuna/catfood in the recycling bin, and stinky trash bins being unpleasant. I’ve thrown out some stuff even in the regular trash that started stinking pretty bad after a couple days. Even putting it outside doesn’t completely remove the problem, because the outside bins are kept in the garage. Fortunately, that didn’t involve tuna/catfood all over the container. I can see wanting to get rid of the smell of old fish, and just rinsing not being sufficient. Saying she’s a neat freak and bizarre and suggesting she bleaches her recycling container regularly because she did it once is projecting from the other side. That said, the OP’s reaction in this thread shows she needs some perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/103 "2013-12-06T20:19:47Z")
My neighbor just put her recycling bin inside my pet tuna. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/104 "2013-12-06T20:26:26Z")
Dump your new boyfriend, quick. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/105 "2013-12-06T20:28:10Z")
I was never clear how much tuna she was talking about. I know she said it was all over the inside of the can, but I assumed she was being hyperbollic given the tone of the rest of her posts. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/106 "2013-12-06T20:30:05Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Dump your new boyfriend, quick. Just not in the recycling can. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/107 "2013-12-06T20:41:32Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > To be fair, we don’t know how all this will play out. If I was the OP’s neighbour, I’d sleep light. What, you think she will wake up next to a fish head? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/108 "2013-12-06T20:54:10Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > To be fair, we don’t know how all this will play out. If I was the OP’s neighbour, I’d sleep light. OTOH, if there is anyone I would trust to clean up a crime scene, it would be the OP. Or just grind up the neighbor and feed her to the cat. The perfect crime. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/109 "2013-12-06T20:54:11Z")
> [@simster](#): > > What, you think she will wake up next to a fish head? Nope. A bucket of cleaning products. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/110 "2013-12-06T20:59:32Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Nope. A bucket of cleaning products. “It’s a Sicilian message. Luca Brasi cloroxes his Herby Curby.” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/111 "2013-12-07T00:23:51Z")
You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/112 "2013-12-07T02:35:40Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish. Holy Mackerel, you trouted out that ol’ carp? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/113 "2013-12-07T04:49:26Z")
I can only pray the OP [wasn’t on this bus.](http://www.theonion.com/articles/inconsiderate-woman-on-bus-eating-live-tuna,34764/) ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/114 "2013-12-07T08:35:04Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I was never clear how much tuna she was talking about. I know she said it was all over the inside of the can, but I assumed she was being hyperbollic given the tone of the rest of her posts. This. It seems along the thread we went from unrinsed tuna cans to almost full cans. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/115 "2013-12-07T13:11:20Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Just not in the recycling can. No, that would be okay. He can clean up while he’s in there. Two birds, one stone! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/116 "2013-12-07T14:29:36Z")
I wish all of my problems were as trivial as having a stinky recycling container. Life would be a breeze… ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/117 "2013-12-07T19:32:12Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I wish all of my problems were as trivial as having a stinky recycling container. Life would be a breeze… Or a Febreze. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567/118 "2013-12-07T22:01:26Z")
Not sure what the issue is with bleaching it. At my former house, I would bleach my trash can every couple of years when it got particularly bad. Dump a cup of bleach in it, fill it up with water, let it sit for a while, knock it over. Summer time, warm weather, collection decides it doesn’t want to swing by this week and/or animals get in it. Time to clean it out. Not a big deal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbor-threw-tuna-fish-in-my-recycling-can/675567.md?page=5)