Skip-diving

[Janet]

Can it involve you in a fraud? If yes, there's an issue. If not, you are just involved in a potentially embarrassing (maybe, I dunno!!) situation with someone you've never met and who rummages in public rubbish bins.

Like, yeah I really care ...

edit: but surely if you dumped such rubbish in our bin up here, it still matches your name and address ...

[Michael]

A genuine name & address.

Step no.1 for setting up a false identity. 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Sorry guys, I'm 100% with Nova.  Who wants some fucking creep going through their used tampons?  It's disgusting.

[Nova]

Thank you Myrtle    Exactly!

[Janet]

I don't get it at all. This is a sicko, or someone poor, or a would-be identity thief ...

he's doing all sorts of yucky stuff for various suspect reasons, and it's the person who legally disposes of legal rubbish who's embarrassed or shamed?

Why, FFS?

Am I the odd one out here?

[Guanche]

As Michael has said skip diving is good business. What you throw away in the week could find its way to the Rastro on the weekend! Metal and broken appliances being the most sought after, then old furniture. We have the same thing in Santa Cruz wheeling their ill gotten gains off in stolen supermarket trolly and no one bats an eyelid.

Every night shift in the summer months I was detailed to visit the council waste skips three or four time a night to deter professional skip divers!

As for ID theft yes its always a going to be a problem, but there are easier ways to find someone's name and address. By looking at the intercom labels on the front of apartment blocks and houses. I would think your ID card number is more important and since you have to hand that or your passport over to strangers every time you make a purchase together with your credit/debit card, there is more chance of getting into problems there.

Just buy a shredder I don't think there to expensive.

[Janet]

OK, interesting ... the men aren't getting this.

Boys listen ... if you threw away something you had which you wouldn't broadcast, dunno what, say a bundle of porno mags, or a genital warts cream, or anything else that's private or that most people would agree to be embarrassing, and suppose you also threw away personal info which identified whose private or embarrassing stuff it was. Would you feel embarrassed or ashamed or otherwise undermined that some stranger might happen upon them while going through the rubbish bins - for whatever purpose he was doing it for.

I'm trying to find out if this is a male-female issue, because the turtle agrees with Nova, so there are at least two women on here who object to strangers seeing personal stuff they've thrown away.

[Guanche]

Would I be embarrassed by my rubbish, or more importantly what it contained. In a word 'No' not at all. If they want to root round the small white plastic bags that we use in the toilet feel free, knock your self out! I would say 99% of our rubbish is kitchen waste, mainly card board packaging. Once it goes into the bin its forgotten about. Any important documentation I want to get rid of are burnt on the BBQ.

Even with the two examples you give Janet I wouldn't bat an eye lid. In the rubbish and off it goes. If some sad man wants to sort through it, as I've said, feel free.

[Janet]

That is exactly my own view, P!! But the turtle and Nova don't share it. Wonder what the other boys will say!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

There is an assumption of privacy and anonymity when disposing of things. Nova and I feel it is a violation of said privacy for someone to go through bins and bags, and when coupled with the loss of anonymity it is worse.  Neither of us is naive and we both know that you need to take measures not to let sensitive and identifying things go into the bin, nevertheless, feel what the guy was doing crosses the line of civility.

Nova and I have not consulted or collaborated on this post so she will post if she feels differently!