# Neighborhood war coming. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392 "2009-06-01T18:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/41 "2009-06-03T12:38:13Z")
> [@Bad\_Samaritan](#): > > We have a large city provided 90 gallon trash container. One day a few years ago, I went out to get it from the curb and noticed it had different scuff marks on it and a large split in the side that wasn’t there. I’m pretty sure my shitstain neighbor traded us. My wife was pissed and wanted to trade back, but I let it go. It functions just as well with the split and besides it’s not really even ours anyway. Are you sure the trash guys didn’t return the containers to the wrong houses? The people who empty the recycling in our neighbourhood basically just throw the emptied bins back in the general direction of the houses they belong to. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/42 "2009-06-03T12:39:28Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Out of curiosity, how do the garbage folks empty cans that are chained up? I have no idea (I was wondering the same thing myself). I don’t chain our garbage can. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/43 "2009-06-03T15:31:18Z")
Man stealing a can from your neighbor is stupid. Can’t you steal a can from a few cul-de-sacs down? Then no one would ever know. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/44 "2009-06-03T17:08:14Z")
It is actually 3 doors down. They just moved in and needed a can. They saved themselves a shopping trip and about 35 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Enn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dave_enn/32/426_2.png) [@Dave\_Enn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Enn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/45 "2009-06-03T21:20:20Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Out of curiosity, how do the garbage folks empty cans that are chained up? In NYC, we have to line the can with a 39 gallon trash bag, which is removed and put out on the curb on collection days. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Samaritan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bad\_Samaritan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Samaritan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/46 "2009-06-04T04:47:59Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Are you sure the trash guys didn’t return the containers to the wrong houses? The people who empty the recycling in our neighbourhood basically just throw the emptied bins back in the general direction of the houses they belong to. We don’t have trash guys. We have a trash guy in a truck with an arm on it. He pulls up, extends the arm, picks up the bin, and dumps it, all from the comfort of his cab. For him to swap bins with the next door neighbor, he would have to pick up my bin, drive it down to the neighbor, set it down, pick his up, back up to my house, and set it down. I’m pretty sure he’s not getting out of the cab for anything like that. It’s all pretty efficient actually, especially for a gov’t operation. These guys must be paid by the bin and mile though -because they haul ass when they’re emptying bins, and then they seem to drive some choregraphed route through the neighborhood for no reason. For example, the trash truck comes down my street on trash day, flies around the cul-de-sac, and then leaves without picking anyone’s trash, yet he goes to the next street and I hear him dumping bins over there. Then a little while later he leaves the neighborhood, after driving some streets and emptying others. Then… he’s back again a few hours later to finally dump our bins. In the meantime, a green waste truck does our street run even though no one on the street has the required green barrel. This same routine happened in our old neighborhood except the trash truck passed the house a few times before dumping our bin. It makes no sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/47 "2009-06-04T10:51:22Z")
From an onlooker’s point of view, the tit-for-tat approach suggested by **Furious\_Marmot** , **Bad Samaritan** and **Isamu** has a certain appeal; in a week or two, the rising mushroom cloud will not just tell us why your last post was a size 7 _ **Muawhawhaw** _, it will also – and more importantly - engage us in numerous threads for weeks to come: the literary gifted will give us chilling accounts of the days before, the pyromaniac will ask how you managed to get your hands on weapons-grade plutonium, while the politicos will explain to us that this is all Obama’s fault … no, that of Bush. Hmmmm … ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/48 "2009-06-04T17:14:51Z")
> [@Dave\_Enn](#): > > In NYC, we have to line the can with a 39 gallon trash bag, which is removed and put out on the curb on collection days. So…what’s the point of the cans? Wouldn’t you just have somplace indoors with a large bin, then carry the bag to the street? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/49 "2009-06-04T17:46:03Z")
Black permanent marker. Bottom of the can (outside). Either that or a perimeter triggered improvised explosive device that will detonate the can if it is removed more than 100 feet from where it should be. ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/50 "2009-06-04T19:44:06Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > So…what’s the point of the cans? Wouldn’t you just have somplace indoors with a large bin, then carry the bag to the street? The point of the cans is to keep strays & vermin from ripping open the bags and spreading garbage all over the front yard. I discovered this the hard way. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/51 "2009-06-04T19:49:49Z")
…Can’t we all just get along…? -XT ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/52 "2009-06-04T20:06:36Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > So…what’s the point of the cans? Wouldn’t you just have somplace indoors with a large bin, then carry the bag to the street? Two problems with indoor trash: Dwellings in NYC tend to be expensive per square foot and therefore small. A 39 gallon trash bin would take up a fair amount of already limited space. Some people produce a lot of trash, which could become terrifically smelly or attract vermin. Better for such things to happen outside. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/53 "2009-06-04T20:35:42Z")
I got a new recycling bin today. The form even had a checkbox for “stolen” under the reasons why I needed a new one. 2/10 addresses on the form I signed had indicated stolen, the rest were all “new to the neighbourhood”. I can’t find any Sharpies, though. ---
**Author:** ![that\_darn\_cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/59ef9b/32.png) [@that\_darn\_cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that_darn_cat)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/54 "2009-06-04T20:45:44Z")
When **moi** and I moved to Baltimore we bought 2 new galvanized 35 gallon trash cans and chained them by their handles to the fire escape, with the intent of only leaving a single large trashbag in each for the trash guys to pull. The douchebag on the 1st floor prompty moved out, filled our cans with loose trash including a variety of soiled sex toys and left the lids off to fill with rain. After 2 weeks of the trash guys refusing to dump this mess, I got a shovel and filled trashbags. Problem solved. Right. The next week after the trash guys came, someone ripped the handles off our cans and took them. Bastards. So I went to Home Depot, bought the cheapest plastic trash can they had and two cans of spray paint. I took the can home, beat the snot out of it and sprayed it liberally with profanity. Never stole my can again. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/55 "2009-06-04T21:23:30Z")
I was a big failure. The culprits did not put out any trash this week. My wife was waiting and got all disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/56 "2009-06-04T21:25:02Z")
You could try nuking them from orbit, just to be sure… -XT ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/57 "2009-06-04T23:24:45Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > Someone steals my garbage can and that garbage can will have its bottom cut out, wheels superglued to the axel and greasy thick oil spread on the handles. > > It’s war baby! Bring it on! Amateur. Everybody knows you smear dog shit on the bottom of the handles. That’ll learn 'em. Actually, to the OP, if you do have to get a new can (and it’s not provided by your municipality or service), HOLE-PUNCH your house number on the can _and_ the lid (use a nail gun or hammer and nails. That way, they can paint over it. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/58 "2009-06-04T23:30:23Z")
What I meant to say: > [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > That way, they **can’t just** paint over it. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/59 "2009-06-04T23:52:00Z")
You could try sneaking into their house late at night and putting a severed horse head in their bed… I bet they won’t even THINK about taking your trash can again after that! -XT ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392/60 "2009-06-05T13:02:35Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > You could try sneaking into their house late at night and putting a severed horse head in their bed… > > I bet they won’t even THINK about taking your trash can again after that! > > -XT Nah, they would just stuff the head into your trash can. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neighborhood-war-coming/498392.md?page=4)