"History will be kind to us, because we will write it"
Spotted at Dickson shopping centre on Sunday arvo, a superb example of resourcefulness from a couple who decided to cut out the middleman of the charity shop and do their shopping from the charity bin itself.
And, of course, not pay for it.
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It makes sense. Charities don’t want things dumped outside the bins so why not have other people with a need/use collect the overflow instead?
This happens all the time. That stuff is clearly up for grabs being outside the bin.
If recent RA suggestions – that anything left outside charity bins is automatically discarded by the charities anyway – are at all accurate, then these folks are doing the charities a favour by reducing the load for the tip.
Why not? better to to salvage some before it gets rained on on pushed into the road.
They’re actually SAVING the charity money. Charities have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars clearing dumped goods from outside the bin before being sent to the tip
Good on ‘em, maybe other people doing it tough could show some similar initiative.
I’m more concerned about the mentality of the OP who would begrudge anyone obtaining clothes by whatever means, in the middle of a Canberra winter (which begrudging attitude is evident through the pointed reference to individuals not paying for said clothes).
Those thieving bastards! That’s where I get all my free workshop rags. How dare they take something destined for the landfill, put there by some lazy sod and normally removed at great cost by the charities.
I don’t think the charities are making squillions of dollars from used clothes sales. Prices are generally there to cover costs and the main aim is to provide cheap affordable clothing to those who need it. Any profits are a bonus that can be put back into other aspects of the community (or used to pay for rubbish removal from outside their bins).
devils_advocate said :
I think your sarcasm-detector is in need of servicing…
devils_advocate said :
I doubt very much if the thieves (because that’s what they are) are taking clothes to wear, more likely to sell at Trash and Treasure on Sunday.
The consensus on this posting seems at odds with Today Tonight and A Current Affair which regularly do stories about scavengers taking items from around charity bins and supposedly denying the poor clothing and other items. And talking about ACA, it seems we have seen the last of it in Canberra. It was taken off by WIN for the Olympics, and Big Brother will be filling the 19:00 timeslot from this Monday.
devils_advocate said :
“By whatever means”? You mean you’d be happy if they hopped into your place and had a look through your clothing? The family who raids the charity bin at my local shopping centre also forages in their neighbour’s letterboxes and gardens, the pictured ladies might not be thieves in other locations but I wouldn’t place money on it. Why the assumption they were “just” taking clothing anyway? They were going through everything that had been left there.
I believe (although I’m happy to be corrected) that anything left outside of a charity bin is considered in the eyes of the law to be rubbish, and therefore, free for anyone to take. Legal posession of donated items doesn’t pass to the charity until it’s actually inside the bin.
Just saving the charity from having to dispose of it, as it just gets thrown out on principle anyway.
As others have said, the likes of ACA and TT see it differently, but why would you let the truth get in the way of a good story.
SheepGroper said :
Provided I wasn’t at home, I wouldn’t be too concerned if someone relieved me of some of my warm clothes. It would be a good excuse to update the wardrobe.
Maybe they are homeless. Maybe they can’t afford to heat their home. Whatever, clearly if they’re going to such lengths to get clothes they must need it.
In this case they’re not invading someone else’s home, and they’re taking clothes that are by definition surplus to the previous owner’s needs. So I have no problem with it.
Nuke ‘em from orbit.
SnapperJack said :
Big Bother? Blech. Why do they put this crap on year after year? Are people really that stupid?
RadioVK said :
I seem to recall once in the past reading a story about someone being charged with “theft by finding” in the ACT. I guess it really comes down to the intent of the person who left the item and the desire of the organisation who owns the bin to accept ownership of it.
VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :
Sadly, yes.