Trash "thieves" struck last night
 

I put my recyclables and one trash bag out last night around 9:30 pm and when I went out at 5:30 am to walk the dog the trash bag was gone. Oddly enough, none of my neighbors in my 3 street villa neighborhood had their trash bags taken. I hope the thief enjoyed rummaging through those doggie poop bags! Another reminder to shred.

I always wait until the morning to put out the trash. Enough problems with crows.

I was waiting until morning, but the trash and recycle pickups have become somewhat irregular, and after missing a few pickups (they came around before 7 am!!), I now put out the evening before.

That’s odd, possibly weird, but not sure it’s objectionable. If someone puts out, say, an old grill, the “pickers” usually grab it. A BAG of trash does seem weird. I guess so long as they don’t leave the contents strewn around, it remains just odd. However, I hope you shred your important papers. Could it be they’re looking for personal info? I had to laugh at your comment about the poop bags, only because our trash must look very similar. :-)

On our street, usually one guy walks the length of the street, picking up trash bags and putting them all in one pile. Driver only has to make one stop to pick them all up.

Once you place your "trash" out by the curb, it is no longer yours and is "up for grabs."

Last week someone picked up one of my bags of trash and it was returned to the edge of my driveway a day later!
Yes, I missed the pickup but the following pickup day it was gone for good.

Too much time on his hands, perhaps he should join the happy hour guys :)

The guy who walks the street picking up works for the trash company

Is there really a happy hour club in the villages? I might want to join

A happy hour club is wherever you make it!

Yes, whenever I hear about shredding day in TV I keep wondering what’s that about? Shredders are cheap and available from Staples.

I can think of at least two reasons garbage bags are taken. One, a hired private investigator is looking for information. Two, people need bottle recycling money.

Three: People are looking for personal info to steal identities and apply for credit cards/loans. :shrug:

Bingo! You are so very right.

I shred envelopes even when they don't have my name or address on them.
I don't want to give anyone a clue to anything when a company's return name and address is on the envelope and it's in with the rest of my trash.

The bad guys aren't stupid anymore. They know how to put 2 and 2 together and the rest of the information they want is readily available on the Internet.

Amen to that.

A few years ago I watched an interview of a woman that was a victim of ID theft. She was in her 40s. This woman’s life had been turned upside down for the past 15 years. Credit cards in her name, loans in her name and a mortgage in her name. The police did very little because it’s not high on their priority list. They would help her when “they have time.” After countless trips to court to stop the debt collectors calling her 24/7 the judge finally told this victim she had only one option, legally change her name. And that is what she did. People convicted of identity theft need to spend a few decades in jail.

I’ve been using a shredder for many years, I think I’m on my 3rd or 4th machine.

When in doubt: shred, shred, shred.

We have a shredder, but I REALLY like those cross-cut shredders. May get one when our current one dies.

Where can you sell bottles?

I use the shredder as often as a garburator practically. First I had a small one, what a pain it was; paper got stuck, it overheated etc. Then I got a slightly larger one, it was a bit better could do envelopes and up to 10 papers without overheating. Finally, I got a commercial grade but cheap one. This one cross sheds does magazines that come in your mail, credit cards etc. I love it. As a teacher I used to shred drafts of report cards and my students’ information, now I can’t live without a shredder at home.

Most of them are not inexpensive, but the confetti shredders are the best.

They are "serious" shredders!!!

Florida has only a proposed bottle bill but nothing active. However I picked up a case of water at one of the stores near the Villages last time I came down. It was the same brand as we get up north. I noticed the bottles had the bottle deposit label on them.

Just tossed the empties in a tall kitchen garbage bag and put the bag in the trunk of the car when I drove north, and got $1.20 for the deposit that I never paid. I traded the bottle slip in for a dozen eggs, for bottles that most people just toss in the trash.

For homeless people, and people on their last financial legs, those deposit bottles can mean a toothbrush, or a bar of soap, or a coveted pair of socks.

For me, it's a very appreciated bonus.

With a strong dog smell it may have been a coyote that dragged the bag off.