# my neighbors are rooting through my trash! Yuck! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 11, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428 "2009-02-11T21:29:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/21 "2009-02-11T23:15:07Z")
Not particularly gross, unless they’re actually rooting through kitchen garbage or something. From your OP, I’d guess they’re taking furniture and appliances, not used toilet paper. My town has a twice-yearly “big trash day”, when you can put out almost anything and they’ll haul it to the dump for you. So tons of people go “junking” and trade their old junk for someone else’s. People drive around with trailers to pick up the stuff that other folks are throwing out. Many people save anything potentially useful for junk day, so that someone can take it rather than sending it to the dump. In between times, unwanted-but-potentially-useful stuff usually goes to the curb for handing on. We have numerous chairs, lamps, bicycles, etc., that were thrown out as trash. All they needed was a little TLC from someone with some minor repair skills and they’re perfectly fine. We’ve had various TVs and electronics (working & not), furniture, much scrap metal, etc., go to new homes. We’ve actually gotten annoyed the last couple times, because the city has started doing early pickups. Dammit, we put that out early so that people could take it, not to go to the dump! It’s large-scale “reduce, re-use, recycle”. Get a grip. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/22 "2009-02-11T23:22:07Z")
Try thinking of it this way: they aren’t “rooting through your trash,” they’re “helping you recycle.” Yes, it’s a bit unsettling to discover that the neighbors have carefully rescued all your used porn. But it’s better for the planet, really. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/23 "2009-02-11T23:22:14Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > The bottom has dropped out of the scrap metal market. The local county recycling program hasn’t been selling it’s scrap for months in the hopes they’ll get better prices. I’m betting on them having to sell before that happens, because they run out of room. Not too surprising given the state of the economy these days. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/24 "2009-02-11T23:39:08Z")
It’s trash. You are, by definition, done with it. Unless they’re leaving it scattered over your lawn like raccoons I really don’t see your beef here. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/25 "2009-02-11T23:50:11Z")
At our house, “trash” is fairly minimal. It has to be non-compostable (Meat and bone, cooked stuff). It is not glass, metal, paper, cardboard or plastic both hard and soft - these are recycled. Non working electronics or appliances go to a recycling depot too. We end up with one small grocery bag every 2 weeks. God help anyone trying to go through our trash. They’d have a choice of used tissues, old chicken bone, bit of mouldy cheese or used dental floss. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/26 "2009-02-12T00:02:50Z")
> [@dmatsch](#): > > We were talking the other day, and I casually mentioned that I’m going to be getting rid of the extra fridge in the garage. They promptly piped up and said, “We’ll take it!” “We get some of our best stuff from your trash”. > > Then then run through the laundry list of items that I’ve thrown out that they have helped themselves to. It was staggering the crap that they took from me. One man’s trash, I guess… > > This completely creeped me out, and I don’t like it. My already-low opinion of them has sunk to … well … _ **lower** _. I am actually sort of worried about break-ins now. The stuff I have in my house is WAY cooler than what I throw out. I don’t think so. Besides the other reasons people have mentioned, I doubt someone thinking in terms of robbing you would make such an admission; the last thing they would want is to make it obvious they like your stuff. Casually discussing the fact that “We get some of our best stuff from your trash” strikes me as something that would be said by someone who has a clean conscience when it comes to stealing from you. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/27 "2009-02-12T00:03:51Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I don’t think this is a legitimate concern in the least. They haven’t’ done anything criminal. > > Would you be grossed out when I raid your green recycle bin for my compost? I do that all the time… I guess it depends on where you live. Where I live in California, it _is_ criminal to steal someone’s trash. My trash/recycling belongs to me, and then it belongs to the trash/recycling company. While I would not be grossed out about your taking the contents of my yard scraps bin, I would be annoyed. The recycling in my town is (sorta) paid for by the selling of recyclables and city compost. When you take the useful stuff the city collects, you are driving up my tax bill. In my current neighborhood, no-one bothers my yard scraps bin, but any recycling that has a deposit is stolen. I used to have a neighbor who dug through our trash. He was creepy on several levels, so maybe if he was more like Starving Artist’s bargain-loving neighbor I’d have been ok with it. All that aside, if I have stuff that is unwanted but usable, I typically give it to a Goodwill-type charity. If (for whatever reason) I don’t want to make a trip to drop it off at the Goodwill-type charity, I’ll put it on top of the trash. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/28 "2009-02-12T00:06:39Z")
When I was little, my mother saw our neighbor taking an old box of hats from the 1950s that she didn’t want anymore out to the curb. They were in pretty good condition, just a little battered. Mom asked said neighbor if she could have them, for Baby Sis and I to use to play dress-up with. They weren’t dirty, or gross, like I said, and she didn’t actually root through any garbage. I think the op is just a snob. A lot of time “garbage” isn’t so much “garbage” as just perfectly good things that the thrower-outer just doesn’t want anymore. Besides, was the fridge still useable? Why on earth then would you just pitch it? Wouldn’t you be glad to have someone that could actually use it? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/29 "2009-02-12T00:21:00Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > I’ve taken things from other people’s trash in the past. Not from rooting through it, but because it’s right out in the open. Sometimes, if I can find them, I’ll ask if they mind if I take the item, but if they’re not around, I just take it. One time a neighbor put half a dozen really nice, large, potted plants out at the curb for the trash. I asked him about it and he said an ex left them behind, refused to come get them, and he doesn’t “do” plants. He helped me drag them into my house! Yay! All hail the [Goddess Skor](http://books.google.com/books?id=NhF5Dh2ZvHEC&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=goddess+skor+urban+primitive&source=web&ots=yxOJWznOpb&sig=MwxC2zDKQcx3ZqPSPq4eNqWR5RA&hl=en&ei=92iTSeO7H5mMsQOmzaG3Cw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA57,M1)! > [@redtail23](#): > > Not particularly gross, unless they’re actually rooting through kitchen garbage or something. From your OP, I’d guess they’re taking furniture and appliances, not used toilet paper.\ > It’s large-scale “reduce, re-use, recycle”. Get a grip. Exactly! This isn’t gross, it’s the modern day equivalent of “The Noble Savage used every part of the buffalo.” Why fill your landfill when it’s stuff that’s perfectly useful to someone else? [www.freecycle.com](http://www.freecycle.com) Just sayin’. (Hail, Skor!) ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/30 "2009-02-12T00:33:12Z")
I’m on both sides of this. I have no problem screeching to a halt when I spy something on the side of the road that looks useful. I also have put many things on the curb or the yard for someone else to grab. On the other hand, someone systematically going through my trash every week looking for tidbits of worthwhile items without permission is pretty out there. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/31 "2009-02-12T00:42:58Z")
I’m with the people who says it depends on what they’re taking. What do you mean “rooting through”? Are they opening your trash bags and sifting through it, or taking large things that are on the curb because they’re too large to be bagged and binned? First = strange, second = not strange in the least. It’s common around here for people to put put things that still have life in them a few feet away from the garbage for others to grab. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/32 "2009-02-12T00:48:18Z")
Put me in the “who gives a fuck?” camp. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/33 "2009-02-12T00:48:20Z")
Back in the mid nineties some unit on the post I was on threw away about 20 perfectly good zip drives. From what I understand they either had decided not to use them because the disks were too expensive or they were getting internal ones installed. I didn’t care enough to ask. I took a big ol bag to the dumpster and rooted 'em out. I don’t have them anymore, but I used one myself for awhile. I gave the others away. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/34 "2009-02-12T01:25:06Z")
I. . . I . . ._cough_. . . I. . . ahem. . … Lemme try again. . … I agree wholeheartedly with **Starving Artist**. This shows exactly how wrong the OP is. You threw it away. They were discreet enough that you didn’t even know they were doing it until they told you. Skeeve all you want, that shit wasn’t yours once it hit the curb. Oh and, yeah, you should have been shredding your crap before you know your neighbors were dumpster diving. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/35 "2009-02-12T01:26:59Z")
I can show you four or five families who have working computers for free because a whole bunch of other people threw away old computer parts. Himself rescues old stuff, Frankensteins them into usable internet capable boxes and gives them to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them. What, they should go to a landfill? Pshaw… ETA: You okay there, **Biggirl?** Didn’t damage anything, didja? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/36 "2009-02-12T01:40:36Z")
> [@biggirl](#): > > i. . . I . . ._cough_. . . I. . . Ahem. . .. Lemme try again. . .. > > I agree wholeheartedly with **Starving Artist**. 😃 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/37 "2009-02-12T01:42:36Z")
Buy a cheap used piano and have it put out on your curb with a “free” sign on it, and then watch them struggle to move it. At least get some hilarity out of all this. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_Elliot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jane_elliot/32/6166_2.png) [@Jane\_Elliot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_Elliot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/38 "2009-02-12T01:44:11Z")
Back when I worked for a garbage company the drivers and helpers were always saving stuff that people threw out. There were big expensive department stores that threw out nice, still wrapped items that got scooped up by the crews. Now it’s all part of the new frugalista lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/39 "2009-02-12T01:59:08Z")
I, for one, was thinking more of kitchen garbage than junk. I doubt many people have any problem with and in fact welcome someone giving their junk new life. We recycle and Freecycle and all that, so our trash really is trash, hence the expression of squickiness. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428/40 "2009-02-12T03:05:07Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > I guess it depends on where you live. Where I live in California, it _is_ criminal to steal someone’s trash. My trash/recycling belongs to me, and then it belongs to the trash/recycling company. Huh, really? Does that mean that the police in your area can’t do the “it’s in the trash, so it’s public property” thing they do on TV? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-neighbors-are-rooting-through-my-trash-yuck/485428.md?page=3)