Other people's rubbish

can be useful sometimes.

Middle Cat and I went hunting for rubbish yesterday, other people's rubbish. I needed some of the large polystyrene sheets that protect household goods like refrigerators and television sets when they are transported for sale. Middle Cat had seen some when picking up something else for her husband. Yes, all going out in the rubbish. She couldn't pick them up at the time so we went off  yesterday.

Wail! The rubbish pick up had just taken place - there was the vehicle heading off into the distance. Middle Cat asked someone when the next lot was likely to be there.

"Go round the other side. Their rubbish gets done tomorrow. I'll tell them you're coming." 

We thanked him and Middle Cat backed the car out expertly - and to the obvious admiration of the driver of the big van who had pulled up as we were there. Then we headed off "round the other side".

Middle Cat explained what we wanted and the two men working there looked at each other and then one said, "Hold on a minute." He pulled out his phone called a number and told someone at the other end what we were looking for. No, none there either.

Then the other one said, "Round the depot?"

"Yeah, maybe. It's not far. I'll get you a little map."

We got the map. We went around to "the depot". This was in a back street. We had to negotiate the roadworks. They did not want to let us past but Middle Cat pointed out they had not said vehicles could not pass.

The dept was one of those industrial sort of places most of us never enter. We have no cause to enter them. Middle Cat showed the man at the gate the little map we had been given. Ah, that was different.

"Sure mate. How many bits ya want?" We picked up four suitable pieces from the next two men. They even put it into the car for us.

We thanked them.

"Always happy to be rid of the rubbish. Let us know if ya' want some more."

So yes, one man's trash is another one's treasure. I have new "blocking boards" now. 

I threw out the old boards into the rubbish and put our bin out ready for collection. The lid was slightly up on the bin. This morning, just before the bins were emptied I went out to put something else in ours...and discovered that someone had taken the old blocking boards!