Last week we needed to speak to both the ‘green’ recycle collectors and also the ‘paper and tin’ collectors. We had two different results for our requests mainly because I dealt with the ‘green’ guys and Barry dealt with the other chaps.
The problem with our green bin was that it was really to heavy to be lifted onto the back of the recycling lorry as we had been digging out turf in order to lay the new decking, and it was big time heavy!
Barry thought the best idea was to put it out and hope for the best and that they would take it! If they did not we would have a lot of work bagging it up ourselves and taking it to the council tip, not a prospect I relished.
I saw the lorry approaching the house and told Barry I was going out to have a word with the chaps. He thought I was wasting my time!
The nice young man approached and I swung into ‘womanly wiles’ mode. “I’m terribly sorry but I think I have over filled my bin, if you think its to heavy for you just leave it and I will take some out for next week,” Flash of blue eyes, and a touch of the mans forearm, “I don’t want you hurting your back now”
Well what strapping young man is going to admit that the bin is too heavy in front of five foot nothing (admittedly middle aged) helpless woman. “I’ve moved heavier than that, love” he announced and proceeded to load it on the back of the lorry with a manly flourish. “There you are love” Mission accomplished!
Now, I am a big recycler and compost as much household waste as possible and save all tins and glass and paper for the recycler’s. I compost some of the paper and cardboard but I have not got a great deal of space and only a tiny garden, so most has to go in the recycling bins.
The collectors have been leaving the cardboard behind over the last while which I have been getting frustrated about as it grieves me to put it in the normal dustbin.
Barry saw these guys coming up the road this time and went out to have a ‘chat’.
Well, I thought World War three had broken out as such a row ensued. He used the “why the hell haven’t you been taking the cardboard” technique, which really put the backs up of the lads on the lorry. I thought that minute my own husband was going to be recycled! He was in danger of being picked up and put in the lorry!
After a fuming Barry came back into the house with the said cardboard, quite luckily in his hand and not stuffed somewhere unmentionable! I had to make a few phone calls to find out the reasons why cardboard had not been collected.
It seems they had been taking it mistakenly previously, as the council as yet does not have facilities to deal with it. I had a long discussion about the benefits of putting in place these facilities, which apparently are in the discussion stage at the council and hopefully will be in place shortly.
Moral of the story, it is easier to get what you want without having a tantrum and stamping your feet! Maybe it is a girl thing. However I don’t think so as I know my boy’s have used the technique to good effect, maybe they had a good teacher.
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3 comments:
Well done! Who ever said the feminine person lacks power has never tried it! I also agree that gentle tones and kind words will bring out a desire to help much more than a direct challenge any day!
Years ago I used to work on an ambulance in a large city. At violent calls, shootings and stabbings, the police used to use my presence to calm down the aggressors. It was unbelievable to have a man who just shot someone appologize to me for swearing in a lady's presence!
And still today we in the uniforms use the good cop/bad cop routine.
the funniest thing is when you switch over on a given signal and the person you are talking who thought he had a friend suddenly needs to work out where his 'ally' is now.
Haha, brilliant. I can just imagine it!!
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