A Wheelie Good Tuesday - Pascal Derrien - Ireland

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~100 ·

Blogging

Pascal blog

A Wheelie Good Tuesday

I don’t know you but in my part of the world the residential bins are collected once a week. The general waste one week and the two other recycling bins every second Tuesday. As it happened I had prepared the two recycling bins that Monday evening. By preparing I mean I moved them from one side of the house to the front of the house for collection. They rarely collect them before nine so I tend to park them near one of our bushes ready to be wheeled early and closer to the street on the morning of the collection day. In our case its every Tuesday.

So why are we talking about bins. Well I am not going to talk about waste, garbage , trash or lecture you about the green agenda. No what I want to talk about is a very brief encounter with the bin man. I don’t know his first name or even his name for that matter. I would normally don’t see him or any of his colleagues but I had a bit of overflow waste which I had kept into the house with a view to dump the extra cardboard and the likes when they would empty the two wheelie bins.

At first I heard the familiar sound of the waste compactor doing what it does best and the nearly as recognisable beeping from the truck when it makes an attempt to reverse through some narrow streets. As I was downstairs at home thanks to our third and longest lockdown I thought I would stick around and wait for the guys to do their job. In turn this would allow me to refill partially but almost instantly the bins with the two gigantic card board pieces and one sizeable biodegradable bag of green waste.

At first the only thing that grabbed my attention was the one of the guys was only wearing a t shirt but he had Whooley hat on his head. I vaguely thought to myself that it was odd. Now its nippy enough even in Spring time in Ireland and his colleague was certainly not as brave as he was because he was still sporting the winter jacket provided by his company.

The truck parked momentarily in front of our house allowing Mr T shirt to take our two bins to the mobile compactor. As I saw it happening I thought I would anticipate my move and after thanking him for emptying the wheelie recipients I was planning to partially refill them when he asked me if I wanted to give the extra stuff to him and he would put it straight in the gargantuan mechanical mouth.

I asked him if he was sure that was OK, he replied in a typical Irish twang that sure it was grand and that it would save me some space on the next round. He briefly added that with lockdown he had noticed an increase in packaging waste and he was happy to help that way.

A feeling of gratitude almost happiness overwhelmed me and I thank him profusely. I don’t know why but I told him he was giving me the shivers with wearing only a t shirt. He smiled , winked at me and wished me a good day.

It may seems trivial but this small and ordinary encounter made my day.

ChristyMoore - Ordinary Man (Official Live Video) - YouTube

#Wheelie Good Tuesday #bins #Whooley #Tuesday #Monday

Comments

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #31

#32
Javier \ud83d\udc1d CR another spammer on this thread thanks P

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #30

#30
You can call me anything you like, my old mate, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner. 🍽

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #29

#29
I think you are probably right Doctor Ken may I call you doctor ?

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #28

#28
Regarding your spammer friend, Pascal, who couldn’t “stop wiping” when his “hole world was like hell”, perhaps his ring of fire problem might have.been more appropriately addressed with a good haemorrhoid ointment than a spell caster?

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #27

Spammer to be removed Javier \ud83d\udc1d CR many thanks

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #26

#25
I agree Louise :-)

Louise Smith

3 years ago #25

These encounters happen less & less now days as everyone is so busy & a lot of people stay indoors Winter & Summer An experience to be treasured Pascal Derrien

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #24

#22
Great little encounters as I call them thanks for dropping by Jim :-)

Jim Murray

3 years ago #23

We get trash pickup every second week, and recycling every week.

Jim Murray

3 years ago #22

We had a mailman in Toronto who I got to know a bit. One day he saw me out back (because out house was on a corner) having coffee in the summer, and give me the mail instead of putting it in the mailbox. One day I asked him if we would like to have a coffee. He looked at his watch and said sure. We had a great little chat. I found out that he was a musician and played in a band with some other musician who I knew.,So we played "Do you know?' for about 15 minutes and then he split. So I get it.

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #21

#17
thats true Robert fastway courrier and DPD driver know me by my first name at this stage ''here you go Pascal another purchase from the missus'' they would almost apologize when they dont stop by :-)

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #20

#18
indeed Paul Walters we have been on stict lockdown since dec ans we are slowing emerging from it at the en dof April just as well I cant go to work twixw a week otherwise I am pretty I would end up skating on the bins in my street :-)

John Rylance

3 years ago #19

#18
It would be Paul, if it wasnt for the fact our bins are emptied at 7am, sometimes earlier. Still we can enjoy the thud of the post at a more respectable 9am. Hang on its time to watch a neighbour taking their dog for a daily walk. Will it be wearing its wooly jacket today? Time for coffee, and perhaps a chocolate biscuit Thats me busy doing nothing.

Paul Walters

3 years ago #18

Pascal Derrien Ah the joys of lockdown when the visit from the bin guys is the highlight of the day.

Robert Cormack

3 years ago #17

If you want, I can send you my bins, Pascal. That wang of Irish happiness should be sustained, my friend. Always willing to help out. I've also got a lot of cardboard, initiating more conversation. Wendy says, "Take all you want, I'm ordering shoes." Damn woman is killing me with online purchases.

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #16

#15
thanks Greg Rolfe the Irish would say it was grand day I would say it was nippy enough at least there was no rain :-)

Greg Rolfe

3 years ago #15

Pascal Derrien my good man once again you entertain, with a simple story of a bright sunny day. At least for t-shirt man, I hope it was sunny. Enjoyed it!

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #14

#13
many thanks Debasish Majumder for showing up regularly :-)

Debasish Majumder

3 years ago #13

fascinating buzz Pascal Derrien! enjoyed read and shared. thank you for the buzz.

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #12

#11
Ah what a story Jerry my very first car was 2 CV Citroen and had more holes than metal on it :-) Did you manage to get it fixed in the end ?

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #11

Paacal I no longer have bins (living in a condo) Btu long ago and far away after a stint in the army an MG was my first car back in thee states. I was so poor I couldn't afford to fix the standard transmission so I drove it losing one gear at a time until only second was left. the only problem was parking. And so it goes.

John Rylance

3 years ago #10

#9
My Dad used to call the family car the Jam Jar. (Cockney rhyming slang).

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #9

#8
that what my dad used to call my first car :-) where is the seat son I cant see it :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #8

Following on from John Rylance concept, Pascal, did you drive a mobile garbage bin back in the day?

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #7

#4
I used to drive the poor man’s MGB, @John Rylance, when I was based in London, a British racing green MG Magnet. It was a bit of an abortion, well past the halion days of the famous Morris Garages (MG), having been assembled back then by the infamous British Leyland. I remember it had the same engine as the Triumph Spitfire and was not the greatest of performers, like British Leyland itself. Your Motorised Garbage Bin probably describes the performance rather well, although it was fun driving along the country lanes of Surrey, Sussex and Kent in the late 1970s. As for the TV sitcom, Neighbours, I don’t know of any self respecting Queenslander who thought much if it. Like the tube of Fosters, they have both become much more popular in England than here. I guess there’s “nowt queerer than folk.” 🤔

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #6

#4
I used to drive the poor man’s MGB, John Rylance, when I was based in London, a British racing green MG Magnet. It was a but of an abortion, well oast the halion days of the famous Morris Garages (MG) being assembled back then by the infamous British Leyland. I remember it had the same engine as the Triumph Spitfire and was not the greatest of performers, like British Leyland itself. You Motorised Garbage Bin probably describes the performance rather well, although it was fun driving aling the country kanes if Surrey

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #5

#4
Your highness is welcome to this humble post I live in a sought after area I am told (posh accent) :-)

John Rylance

3 years ago #4

#1
There are versions of the wheelie bin joke all over the world. I understand the Aussie version involves Queensland, and the Wheelie bin part being prison. I live in a posh area, we dont have wheelie bins, we have MGBs Mobile Garbage Bins. Not to be confused with the MG sports cars. Oh I dont know though. I seem to remember that Queensland was where many of the Neighbours characters used to go when they left the show.

Pascal Derrien

3 years ago #3

#1
#2 I think you may be right there on the insulation techniques saw him the other he was dancing while bringing the wheelies to the truck we all need a bit of good mood at the moment :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #2

As for your t-shirt clad bin man, Pascal, perhaps he had a wee dram or two of Jameson’s or Bushmills inside him for insulation? 😉

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #1

Your story reminds me of my London days, Pascal, when I was single and lived in a small terraced house in Kingston-upon-Thames. Leroy, a young Jamaican Rastafarian, had just moved in next door and was out checking his mailbox, not realising it was bin collection day. The Council rubbish truck rolled up and the driver, seeing no bin outside Leroy’s house, said to him, “Where’s your bin, man?” Leroy, totally unfazed, immediately responded with, “I ain’t bin nowhere, man. Where’s yo bin?” 😂🤣😂

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