Taking responsibilty/action

The thread about cleaning up rubbish because of a royal visit got me thinking.

How many of us take responsibilty for anything outside our own garden, and do you feel a mug if you do?

I am beginning to think I am....

I clean up after my dog and if I see a bottle or bag I will pop it in the rubbish bin...
A friend and I bombarded the council with complaints about youths drinking in the local park and then smashing the beer bottles on the paths.. My friend and I even took a broom to the park and swept up the mess. She got her photo in the paper and at that point the council took notice and started doing daily patrols/clean ups. As a result the park is a lot cleaner
Although many people moaned about the mess they never thought to help us or even just to lodge a complaint.

Now there is the proposed building across the road conversion of a shop into 5 flats loads of people moaning about it, loads of people saying it will impact badly on the street yet who is busy organising the opposition against it? Me and a neighbour, both of us work and both have to care for sick or disabled family yet we are left to write the letters go round knocking at the doors and keep in touch with the planning dept..
People keep moaning at us and asking us when things will happen but not one has thought to phone the council themselves.
There is to be a public hearing so Ive arranged a letter for the neighbourhood and asked my neighbour to add that if people do not go and make themselves heard they have no right to complain at a later date.

I just wonder what is it that prevents people from taking a little action, a phone call or picking up one extra bit of litter?
Why have we got into this situation where everyone seems to think someone else will do it ,or as my SIL puts it, they should do something , they should sort this out they should stop this sort of thing.
Who are they if not us?

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

People just cant be bothered although as you say quick to moan and complain and want someone else to do the donkey work

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I've often thought about organising a neighbourhood rubbish tidying party and will get around to suggesting it. Trouble is that if I do it now, I'll appear to be doing it for the Queen (I was going to do it anyway!) ..and the Queen is never likely to come around our way to see it.

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I have been known to bag other people's dog poo when I am picking up my twos, and if I see a bin will pick up any rubbish I see near enough to it. I have also on a few occasions over the years cleaned the road sign at the end of our road but I got told off for doing that apparently I am not insured, it's 3 foot off the ground I only stand in front of it on the pavement - what insurance could I possibly need ?

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I don't 'feel a mug ' for cleaning up after others no, it is my countryside and I like to keep it looking beautiful.

One of the lanes I use to walk Chloe is just a loop off a road and people frequently park up there and throw rubbish out of their cars. I always have doggy bags with me anyway and it doesn't take a lot of effort to pick up any rubbish I see and put it in the bin at the end of the road.

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

There a street lamp opposite that went out just before Christmas and I am refusing to phone the council about it... I bet it stays out until the yearly check up!

On the flip side its nice to hear that there are people around who do try to do a little extra and help their neighbourhood.. Give yourselves a pat on tha backs...

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

Cass, well done for being pro active. I'm in exactly the same position here, by being one of a very few who keeps on at our three housing associations and regularly attends the meetings, over issues on our site!

I know exactly what it's like, to come up against opposition, or lethargic neighbours who moan, and ask what's going on, who complain about possible changes (ie we have parking signs up, prematurely albeit, while a survey has been conducted over parking enforcement)...but who say they didn't know anything about meetings. Had any of them gone to the very first one, or asked about subsequent dates (nobody has!), they wouldn't be in the dark so much!!

My Scottish neighbour Frances and I are the only 2 households in our block of 18 who have shown even the slightest of interest, who regularly attend meetings, contact our own HA, email each other, and phone up to issue complaints.

I find it tiresome at times, especially when the bin shed area is overflowing with rubbish and fly tipping from outside. Our manager thanked me one day, for showing such concern for our site, and being interested in it. Well, yes, so are a few other house holds, but that's as far as they go! They moan and whinge, but none of them ever phone to report anything.

Well done Cass. Keep it up, and good luck.

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I'm afraid that I'm a litter picker too, but so often these days you can't find a bin to put it in! We recently travelled to Liverpool by train and sat in the station concourse to eat a sandwich for lunch but could not find a litter bin anywhere, it seems they were all removed to prevent bombs being placed in them! Strange times in which we live.....

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I guess it´s the same everywhere. Here a gardener is employed to keep the gardens belonging to the urbanizacion neat and tidy, Rob, the gardener is English and very rarely seen, too busy doing private jobs for people. Mr Clumsy keeps all the urb gardens in our little part neat and tidy, even plants flowers. A couple of years ago he and another resident painted all the urb walls, the urb supplied the paint but the painting and the gardening of course is all voluntary. There are fines of up to 1000 euros for not cleaning up after your dog, but the street behind ours is full of dog mess. I´ve reached the conclusion that some people don´t care how rundown and dirty the areas they live in are, they just expect someone else to come along and clean up for them.

Re: Taking responsibilty/action

I'm a "picker-upper" too. Even on one occasion picking up a carpet shampooer that had been left in a lay-by near the open hill. Not so many ciggy packets being thrown out of car windows here now, just the occasional soft drink bottle. Since our Council has now gone to three weekly rubbish collections, I foresee a lot of fly tipping happening round here in due course, but I'll continue to pick up what I can, can't bear to see the countryside in a mess.