That’s Rubbish, that is
I do sometimes wish we had a sense of proportion when trying to get people to do things we think as socially acceptable, such as not stealing putting their bins out on he right day.
If only the legislaters thought the same.
Some time ago it was felt appropriate to give shoplifters fixed penalty tickets for minor offences provided that they met the requirements, like not having done it too often or too recently. The fine is set at £80.
Given the amount of police legislative time saved on dealing with shoplifters the average likely outcome I guess an £80 fine is fair result.
Local councils, on the other hand, are dishing out fines of up to £110 for offences related to rubbish disposal, such as putting bins out on the wrong day, overfilling wheely-bins or putting recycling in the wrong boxes or bags.
Not all councils have the same approach. As a result of a Freedom of Information enquiry by the Telegraph, 40 of 358 councils said they had issued fines. (151 councils did not reply).
The TaxPayers Alliance said: It is excessively draconian to fine people for putting their bins out at the wrong time or making an occasional mistake when sorting recycling.
People pay a lot to their councils, and they do not deserve to be bossed around by petty officials in return. Some councils seem to have forgotten that they are there to serve the public, and that means being flexible and helpful, not oppressive and money-grabbing.
Im not specifically against people being fined for different things but it should be proportionate, advice, letter etc then action of the other routes fail. But if a fine is considered the suitable course of action then they need to be fair; the punishment should fit the crime.
Mind you, given that this country seems go have great difficulty understanding that very concept, I guess a proportionate response to sticking carrot scrapings in a blue bag rather than a green bag is a somewhat forlorn hope.
shijuro says:
mmm… i dont think its that the council fines are high… more that the court ones are crap…
July 6th, 2010 at 15:15
Ex-RUC says:
I got a warning from my local council over a glass bottle in my wheelie bin. Problem is, I didn’t put it there. Must have been some passing drunk or someone living nearby.
July 6th, 2010 at 16:59
shijuro says:
The UK is a great place to live…
if you are rich (you won’t ware about anything as you are rich…)
or
poor (you won’t care about anything as you have everything paid for by…)
The middle strata of society-that pay for everything.
July 6th, 2010 at 17:19
shijuro says:
Have you seen my latest?
Quite proud of that one…
http://shijuronotgeorgedixon.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/quick-nurse-the-screens/
July 6th, 2010 at 19:14
PC A Hunn says:
My piss boils due to this. I’ve had a several letters from the council bin Nazis because I have not taken it in by the end of the day it was collected. The fact that I work shifts and might have rather more pressing things on my mind seems to escape them. I’ve written several snotty letters back explaining this but they still insist.
July 6th, 2010 at 22:51
Plodnomore says:
An elderly neighbour of mine (83 years old and suffering from rheumatism) contacted the council that he couldn’t pull the bin up his sloping driveway to be collected (his son normally does it but was away) and asked if the bin men could do it for him. He received no reply, no one called and the rubbish was left uncollected. When his son returned home, he contacted the council and was put through to some idiot who couldn’t give a toss and made that plain. The man then drove into town with the rubbish in two bin bags and emptied them in the foyer of the council offices.
July 7th, 2010 at 10:29
Zac Smith says:
Plodnomore
Everytime my neighbour’s rubbish isn’t collected he dumps it in the Council Leader’s front garden. It doesn’t seem to do any good, but it makes him feel better.
July 7th, 2010 at 13:53