Dustbin raders out and about along Copleston Road

[trinidad]

Hello All,

Was passing along Copleston Road on Thursday. I notice two eastern European women walking along the road, opening gates, and ploughing through residents wheelie bin rubbish. One of the women came equipped with a two wheel shopping trolley.

One of the women found a jumper in a bin, and passed it to her friend, who placed it in the wheelie bin.

Why do we have this sort of thing in 2016??

[Alan Medic]

Poverty?

[firekat2]

See them all the time they regularly go up and down East Dulwich road and the last time I saw them was in Ulverscroft rd. But they are not just in Dulwich there is a army of them working everywhere in the SE snooping in bins, my son says he seems them where he lives in Anerley.

[nxjen]

I'm torn about this. I can understand the sense of violation of people going through our rubbish BUT it seems like they're only looking for items that can be recycled / sold, not personal data and bank account details. If they can make a bob or two from items we've discarded anyway and save stuff going to landfill then there isn't really a problem ... is there?

[trinidad]

For me its the idea, that someone so brasan can come through the gate, walk up to the path, and start going through my bins. I do wonder if your right that they are looking for things to use or sell, or worse identity information

[Nigello]

I like the idea of reusing/recycling and of using initiative but I don't at all like the idea of people crossing a threshold to try to do so. It just sits uneasily with me.

[alica]

Trinidad- I can't help but feel frustrated reading your post. You seemed to be "noticed" quite a lot while just "passing by"..!how do you know those women were Eastern European? Did they introduce themselves to you?

While I understand it's rather awkward to see anyone snooping in your bins, however to make assumptions that people who go through your rubbish must be Eastern European - sounds worse.

I know for sure that my Polish friend would be extremely upset if she reads your comments.

[trinidad]

Hello alica,

so sorry you feel frustrated, that is not my intention. I would not say i noticed alot, just notice what was happening as I walked along the road.

In regards to how i knew if they were eastern European, it was a guess on how they appeared, again so sorry you have got upset with this. No, if you look at the first post, there was no interaction at all, i just saw them going from bin to bin.

Again, so sorry you think I made assumptions they were eastern European, but again they did look of this ilk.

So sorry you feel your polish friend might be extremely upset if she read my comments. If the bin raiders looked black or Indian, i would of said the same thing.

Lets not get into a race war, perhaps i should mention them next time as "women" but then, is that an assumption also??? perhaps "people" next time.

Have a fantastic day

[Penguin68]

Is 'Eastern European' a code for Romany? This is the only Eastern European group who might be identifiable.

Looking into bins (if they are not on private premises) is little different from the middle class activity of 'skip-ping' - many of us have 'rescued' period architectural features in the past (and even furniture) when houses were being done-up.

Up-cycling is nowadays actually a positive thing, as re-cycling has always been. As described I very much doubt whether these ladies were identity thieves.

[Abe_froeman]

Both activities are probably theft though, so don't get caught by the police.

[Angelina]

Is skip rummaging ok? and bin searching not?

Generally I think they're the same, but I do object to someone entering my property in order to rummage.

I had to chase off a lady who thought she could take my garden table, which was in the front garden. Telling her to clear off and out of my garden bemused her - she really didn't seem to 'get' the fact that she shouldn't be there.

I had to secure it with a chain. Neighbours saw other people hovering.

[trinidad]

the two ladies were back this morning. This occasion, both had shopping trolleys. One of the trolleys appeared to be full to the brim. Both were smoking this time.

[Nigello]

Why not approach them and tell them that it is illegal to enter property - even a garden - without permission? At least they'd then know. Even if they don't know English, it is easy enough to communicate with them through gestures. Maybe you could offer them some of your unwanted goods - it'd save a trip to the charity shop!

[Jennys]

At Sainsbury's today the recycling bins were overflowing and I witnessed people who looked well dressed ( at least one drove up in a newish car) go through the clothing and put many items into bags they had with them.

[edcam]

The references to smoking that pop up in these "bin rummager" threads are hilarious. What does it have to do with anything?

[dulwichrat]

Three days in a row now, I've been woken up by that pair. Every day it's the same: I find myself a nice bin with the lid just slightly ajar. I nip in for brunch and a kip. Next thing I know I'm dodging a rummaging hand. The first time it happened, I didn't move fast enough and got tangled up in a jumper. Didn't get myself out of the trolley until they were loading up their Merc.

The worst thing is the smell. If I wanted to stink of fags, I would have gone into scientific research. Yuk.