Are you kidding me!

[lstrl]

Today is trash day. It was hard enough for me last night gathering all of my trash and walking my can out to the street, but I got it done. Fast forward to this evening and one of my neighbors stole my trash can because theirs blew away! Yes, it makes total sense to steal the gimp's can instead of walking down the street and getting your own!

It's bad enough that my mobility has seriously gone down, but when my perfectly capable neighbors steal from me instead of using their perfectly good legs to get their own stuff, I'm furious! Before this ever happened to me, I actually sent someone money when she was in need and I was able to help. Now that I need it, I just keep getting a slap in the face everywhere I turn. This experience (the MS, not just the seriously infuriating moment I found out that my neighbors stole my trash can) has taken away what little faith in humanity that I had left. No, I'm not going to be the bigger person, I'd rather hate the world right now.

[Goldfinch]

Presumably the neighbors are fairly close to you or they wouldn't have liberated your trash can because that would have been too far to walk for their lazy ***. Assuming they're not too much farther than the curb, consider giving them your trash as well, since they are now the new repository location.

If they complain, invite them to take it to court, or give you back your trash can. I guarantee you that the police or deputies taking that report will be rooting for you as soon as they are made aware of the situation and your condition, and will go above and beyond to determine how they can screw up your neighbors. It's so ludicrous as to be comical, and no deputy could pass up the opportunity to create a public spectacle of shame for them. Offer to call your local media outlet too. They adore public interest stories like this and people like your neighbor love attention. It's a win-win situation.

If it's any consolation, someone stole my neighbor's trash can as well....She complained about it to me one day and danged if I didn't see it two streets over after the garbage men had emptied it and left it unguarded on the curb. She didn't know who took it but I did when I saw it, and I thouht it quite funny that someone would be so desperate for a trash container as to steal my neighbor's. It was just a raggedy beat-up 55-gallon drum with twine tied through a hole drilled it in. I don't think the wind could have blown it away because it was so heavy...but I guess you never know unless you see a theft in action.

[fishead]

And you just go right AHEAD and feel what you are feeling.

SHAME on that neighbor.....KARMA will prevail.

[Marco]

I am sorry this has happened to you. I completely understand how something that may seem small can become overwhelming. I think we all have days when we want to give up on others or even ourselves. I know I have said, "I am over of it" more than a few times over the years. Trying to stuff all those emotions aren't always the best course of action. I am glad you were able to come here and vent a bit. I hope you also have some way to reduce your frustration level. You did not ask so I will not offer ... my wife has been teaching me not to try to "fix" things.

I wish you well and will be praying for you!

[KatieAgain]

Venting is good...I would have been ticked too.

I hope you have a trash can with wheels. Next trash can...spray your last name in orange paint on all sides...no one in their right mind would steal it. Please note I said right mind....

[misslux]

Did you confront them?

[Cat Mom]

This happened to me, only they took my trash can with 2 working wheels and put their crappy, 1 wheeled can in its place. I waited until next garbage day, dumped their stuff out on the boulevard and wrote my house number on it with a permanent marker, in huge numbers.

For some reason... it worked!

[KatieAgain]

This happened to me, only they took my trash can with 2 working wheels and put their crappy, 1 wheeled can in its place. I waited until next garbage day, dumped their stuff out on the boulevard and wrote my house number on it with a permanent marker, in huge numbers.

For some reason... it worked!

LOL LOL LOL!!!

[laurasari]

Wow this sounds so familiar. We have town issued cans except I bought a second one and its the only smaller one on the block. I found it by a neighbors house but said nothing it reappeared I guess they borrowed it while I was away. But the larger one. I call the town when the wheels break or something else happens soi I always have a new one every time my husband and I go away I tell him to look at the garbage can its always a beat up one. I quit getting a new one hopefully they will quit swapping cans we r not allowed to write on them

[Marie12]

I like the "numbers" That was very smart

I think I'll do that too. When I first needed to use my wheelchair, I was in the garage, learning how to use it. And my one neighbor drove by and looked. We live on a cul de sac, so he wasn't going anywhere, just drove by looked, went to the end and turned around. Not like he brought over baked goods or anything. Hmm

But my next door neighbor, her granddaughter retrieved my empty trash can from near the road, and brought it up to my house, so it wouldn't blow away. And she's baked goods too. I guess it makes me realize how extra special they r compared to the others.

I m so sorry you've had to deal with the trash can stuff. One time I had to drive down the street when ours blew away too. With my car door open, I dragged the can, by the handle, back to our house.

I guess you could start a thread about trash cans. Myself, I know where I could use the money, instead of a new can, like groceries. My daughters want to take me shopping, but I don't have enough strength for that, and where would I wear my new clothes, since I m in this hospital bed 24/7, except to retrieve the trash can.

I am so sorry you had to deal with that. I know this won't b easy, but don't think of it again. Try thinking about your faith, and when we are in heaven, I'd like to b by u

[lstrl]

Thanks for putting up with my vent. I have totally calmed down today and I won't lie, these replies had me laughing about the whole thing, with the exception of me taking my dog with me during my investigation and tripping over him and almost faceplanting. As sad as it is, I'm glad I'm not alone in the trash stealing world. Of all the things I have to worry about, that wasn't one that I ever thought would pop up.

I was too afraid at first for fear that I'd get caught (and I absolutely didn't want a confrontation even though I could very easily prove it was mine), but I eventually just walked over and brought mine back home. I keep them in the garage, so I have no fears it'll get stolen again until trash day comes around again. Here they're supplied by waste management, so I'm not sure if I can write on them or not. I sent an email tonight telling them of my situation and asked what I could do to prevent it from happening again. I also noticed tonight though that there are numbers on the sides of the cans and if you've got two, the numbers are consecutive (another dead giveaway that yes, it was mine). I imagine that means those numbers are linked to my account.

Now that I've lived to tell of my experience with the trash can bandits, I actually find it very amusing that theirs is still down the street. I would offer that tidbit of information to them, but I'd rather not and see how long it takes them to finally just walk down the street and get it back.