They put out this shelf and I want it, but I don’t want to seem strange? It would make a nice plant shelf, but it’s not something I can scurry away with, so people would see me while I carried it. Is that a bad thing to do?

EDIT: Never mind. Someone beat me to it. 😭

  • psion1369@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Where I live, there are people who make a decent amount of cash by grabbing whatever metal they can find out of the trash and taking it to scrapyards. There are a couple of trucks that swing past my house a few times the night before and the day of trash pickup. And myself, I grabbed two bikes by just knocking on the door and asking.

    • stringere@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      We have scheduled bulk item pickups in pur city. The night before you will usually see at least a couple trucks driving around tossing any scrap metal they find in the bed.

      Got a scooter, bike, and eliptical from a neighbor the same way.

    • SoGrumpy@lemmy.ml
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      1 month ago

      Except in Germany. Anything put outside for refuse collection is considered property of the town or city.

      Taking something from the pile is punished as theft, and if caught, you will be fined.

  • RBWells@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    If I put something by the road, instead of in the bin, it is because I want someone to take it. Yes take it. If you are unsure, go up and let them know you want it,I can say with absolute confidence, they will say to take it.

    • scarabic@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Once I was moving house and we set an old couch out on the sidewalk. It was very large and heavy so we were concerned that no one would take it. But we lived in a poorer area where most everything got taken, and sure enough it did disappear.

      A few more days went by and we continued packing to move. The big day finally arrived and I went out that morning to greet the mover truck and found that whoever took the couch had come back and returned it during the night! I was like “you can’t do that!” LOL

    • HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.org
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      1 month ago

      I put out one of those big plastic storage units with like 30 little drawers recently, figuring although 2 were missing, someone could still use it. I stood it next to the dustbin, on trash day where it would be optimally visible for anyone who wanted to scrounge it.

      The bloody HOA took a picture and sent a nastygram.

      • RBWells@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I have no HOA, I need no HOA,and want no HOA. I do not care if my neighbor puts his car on blocks. City code enforcement will eventually move on any outrageous lack of upkeep.

  • Kalkaline @leminal.space
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    1 month ago

    I got a decent table saw this way. I don’t mind picking up something that someone else doesn’t want and I might one day use.

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    If I have a bulky item to discard, I call 311 or use the My311 app to arrange city pickup, and put it by the curb the day before. It’s my hope that none will still be there by the time the truck arrives. Because that means it’s being used by someone, which is better for everyone. If it’s a neighbor, that’s cool too.

  • Cagi@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    There’s a well established tradition of hand-me-down furniture being put out in alleys in East Vancouver. When you move and have no furniture, you can just tour the alleys and come away with a coffee table and a sofa or a couple of chairs. Did it a few times. You gotta know how to check for bed bugs though.

  • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    this is quite literally how I get all of my furniture, extending the lifespan of consumer goods is a good thing.

    now you know for next time!

  • Artemis@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    I happily took an awesome nursing chair from my next door neighbour’s curbside…the only awkward part will be putting it to the curb myself one day in the very near future 😂

  • CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work
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    1 month ago

    We have a big trash day once a month in my town and I always keep an eye out for something good. Recently I picked up a nice, sturdy, homemade cart with big casters in good condition.

  • Smoogs@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m pretty sure that’s ok. Now if it was someone’s underwear or hair…that is another story.

  • Etterra@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    As a kid in the 80s I lived in a burb where once or twice in the summer they had a day where they could put out big clunky stuff for trash pickup that normally wasn’t allowed. So stuff like furniture, mattresses, old tires, etc. You’d routinely see cars driving past to see if there was anything they wanted to take. Our church friends, a family with 6 kids, would have a few ride off on their bikes and scout for useful stuff and call dibs. Then one brother went back home to get someone to bring the station wagon around while the others kept guard over the claim.

    It was a good system for giving a second life to stuff that was still good (or fixable) but that you didn’t want or weren’t able to lug to the flea market or something.

    • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone
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      1 month ago

      We have this still where I live. Was just this weekend gone in my neighbourhood.

      Last week it was the rich neighbourhood and the council was there stopping people from taking anything saying that it all belongs to the council.

      Dann rich fuckers get extra protection for their rubbish mean while our houses get broken into and cars stolen constantly