Our submitter, Cynthia, spotted this exchange clipped to a fence in her Seattle neighborhood. “I love the meanness of trying to publicly shame my neighbor into returning this amazing garbage can, and my other neighbor’s overly offended response,” Cynthia says. As of yet, she adds, “the mystery of the missing garbage can remains unsolved.”
Meanwhile, I think some of us are still a little confused about what type of emergency constitutes calling 911. (Hint: a missing garbage can is not one of them.)
![One of the neighbors told us they saw you take a white garbage can from our yard. It is custom for our cabinets [sic] and we need it. Please return it. No questions asked. Thank you. Response: No questions asked, how dare you. You got the wrong neighbors. look [e]lsewhere for your can. Or call 911.You could of [sic] asked us about it instead of leaving a nasty note.](http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7200/6802181140_e017c5fedc_b.jpg "One of the neighbors told us they saw you take a white garbage can from our yard. It is custom for our cabinets [sic] and we need it. Please return it. No questions asked. Thank you. Response: No questions asked, how dare you. You got the wrong neighbors. look [e]lsewhere for your can. Or call 911.You could of [sic] asked us about it instead of leaving a nasty note.")
related: An eye for an eye, an eyesore for an eyesore
48 responses so far ↓
#1
Paige
Custom garbage can? Do these people also take limos to the shops?
Also, the second notewriter presumably knows who the first notewriter is, or at least their house. So couldn’t THEY have mentioned it to them instead of leaving a nasty note?
Mar 17, 2012 at 7:19 pm rating: 23
#2
Jen
…I really wish ‘could of’ was not a thing I saw on a regular basis.
Mar 17, 2012 at 7:41 pm rating: 138
#3
it's naptime
Butterfly nets are for catching butterflies.
Fish nets are for catching fish.
Cab nets are for catching cabs.
And then putting them into a white trash can, apparently.
Mar 17, 2012 at 7:57 pm rating: 16
#4
runtotheriver
Some people have sort of “built-in” trash containers in their cabinets…I am sad that I know this. That said, why would anyone put such a thing out at the curb? Don’t most people put trash bags in their outside trash cans?
Mar 17, 2012 at 8:59 pm rating: 21
#5
quarky
Thanks for providing a caption of what was written on the notes. I couldn’t make out the second word of the third sentence of the “rebuttal” for the life of me.
Mar 17, 2012 at 9:17 pm rating: 4
#6
infanttyrone
Good fences make good neighbors.
Awesome custom garbage cans…not so much.
Mar 17, 2012 at 10:05 pm rating: 18
#7
Steph
I don’t think the neighbors were overly offended. I’d be pretty pissed if someone said I was a thief.
Mar 18, 2012 at 2:32 am rating: 25
#8
Steve
this reminds me of a funny story from when I was a kid. There was this born again christian lady who lived in my neighborhood. She would constantly take people’s things then claim, when asked out it, that she knew nothing. If she was outright accused, she would get mortally offended and publicly shame the person who accused them, or claim it was happening to her too. This went on for years but it was usually minor things. Sprinkler heads. garden hoses. the occasional potted plant. Then she began to take big things like drying laundry from people’s backyards, packages from their porches but no one could prove it was her. Finally one day she had a stroke and her adult son had to come and take care of her place while she was in the hospital and casually made a comment to one of the neighbors “Gosh, you sure seem to give my mom lots of stuff, she never has to buy anything.” She had been hording stuff for YEARS. An entire ROOM full of clothes that didn’t fit, for men! she had a box of 50+ sprinkler heads, 12 doormats, packages addressed to literally EVERYONE in the neighborhood. The son realised what had happened and basically taped a note to our door that said can you make up a list of things that have been taken from your property in the last XX years and he would go through go through everything. The house was so full of stuff you couldn’t even walk in most rooms, floor to ceiling stuff. He moved her out because people were threatening to have her arrested otherwise. People are strange!
This was just one missing trash can. just imagine!
Mar 18, 2012 at 4:29 am rating: 39
#9
Pilgrimchick
The second author does make a good point about asking.
This particular suburban “neighbors war” was started over a garbage can. I find it particularly amusing that it will probably still be going on in another 40 years.
Mar 18, 2012 at 9:36 am rating: 5
#10
divvitar
Sounds like the neighbor who “saw” them take the can was starting shit. Typical Seattle snobbery to have matching cabinets and garbage cans. The rude note is also typical. I’m sure they have a matching Lexus Hybrid too.
Mar 18, 2012 at 6:05 pm rating: 5
#11
bookworm
Coming from Seattle, these notes are pretty straight-forward and polite.
Mar 18, 2012 at 7:35 pm rating: 4
#12
bob loblaw
I like the fact that the note was posted in a zip lock bag. Very considerate.
and by the way, that garbage can was fucking delicious.
Mar 18, 2012 at 7:35 pm rating: 12
#13
Palomon
I said, “good day!”
Mar 18, 2012 at 9:17 pm rating: 2
#14
Pixiestick
What I’m trying to understand is how the second note makes any sense. Here’s a list of things I found wrong with it. 1. “How dare you” just seems really rude in response to a “please” and a “thank you”. 2. How could this person know if they were the wrong neighbors when someone else said it? 3. How would they like it if the cops showed up at their door because this person called 911? I bet they’d be really pi$$ed and ask why she couldn’t have just left a nice, friendly note. 4. What does “could of” mean?
Mar 19, 2012 at 12:40 am rating: 5
#15
Bookmark
The “how dare you” and “nasty note” aren’t really helping the neighbor convey a sense of innocence…
Mar 19, 2012 at 12:30 pm rating: 5
#16
loribl
The note is in a plastic bag because of the ginormous amount of rain the Pacific Northwest receives. If it weren’t in the plastic bag, it would be unreadable within a day.
Mar 20, 2012 at 10:48 pm rating: 1
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