GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

stuart noble · 06-08-2008, 11:39 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

Sacha wrote:
On 6/8/08 10:10, in article , "K"
wrote:

Sacha writes
Late this afternoon I went to the swingbin that we keep by the back door
that leads from the tea room lawn into the tea room kitchen. There are
several notices asking the public not to use those doors because trays
carrying hot drinks go in and out of those exits/entrances. The swing bin
contains bird seed with which we top up the many bird feeders in the garden
and nursery.
I opened it today and guess what I found, left by a thoughtful visitor to
our garden, which is open, free of charge, to the public. A DIRTY NAPPY.
Lucky moi. So - not only did I have the dubious honour of disposing of the
nappy correctly, the remaining seed in the bin has been thrown away.
Thankfully, it was very low. I cannot, surely, be the only person who
despairs of the behaviour of other people? Some of our children have
babies; they all carry a breakdown kit which includes new nappies and bags
for dirty nappies. Neither they nor I would *ever* have invaded someone's
house to throw away dirty nappies. As you may see, I'm truly appalled.
People are most definitely more rude and less considerate or respectful than
they were even ten years ago. I'd like to know where our perps live
because this weekend we've had 3 children in this house, all wearing
nappies. I could have given the wrongdoers a compost heap they'd never
forget if I knew their address!

Very annoying and unpleasant for you. As self-protection in the future,
you could add a notice to the swing bin saying 'bird feed' - the
perpetrator probably genuinely believed it was a rubbish bin. We have a
black wheelie bin salvaged from a pond which we use as a temporary
compost bin when it's too miserable to take the compost to the bin at
the end of the garden, and occasionally visitors add a plastic bottle or
similar, which is quite understandable, though irritating.

It has a label saying 'bird feed' on its lid and it has no bin liner!! And
there is a sign right by the door saying Private in large lettering, there
is another private sign *on* the door, another on the door to the right of
that and there are notices on the wall and tea room kitchen door asking
people not to go that way. IOW, the person who did this just couldn't be
bothered to take their dirt home with them but left it there, knowing that
one of us would have to deal with it. Even if it had actually been a
rubbish bin, it would have still been our task to deal with their child's
excrement and it wouldn't have been a bin in a public area. Given all the
gadgetry that seems to be an adjunct to parenthood these days, I would have
thought they'd have managed to bring a plastic bag with them! On the whole,
we're very lucky with our customers, the vast majority of whom appreciate
being able to come here and enjoy the tea room and the garden. It's when
you get the odd one or two like this one, or the one who protested when Ray
took a cane away from her child who was trying to poke the fish with it
and/or hit our dog, that we wonder if the world has gone mad or if it's we
who have done so!

I think you need to cater for the whole family these days because they
shop as a unit. Tea rooms, toilets, and even nappy changing facilities
are essential services. As an old geyser I have left many such
establishments prematurely because there were no toilet facilities :-)