Help me solve a Mystery!
 

I can't for the life of me figure this out, but here is what is happening. About once a month, when I put out my bags of trash and recycling for pickup, bags disappear before the regular pickup truck comes through.

For example, last night I put out three bags of recycling containing soft drink cans, food boxes, newspapers, and some glass along with some broken down cardboard shipping boxes. At 7:00 AM this morning one of them was missing. It's not the pickup team because they take it all. Puzzled, I scratch my head and come back inside. I had also put out three bags of trash last night, and around 8:00 AM I took another bag of trash out for pickup and two of the original three were missing.

OK, my first thought is that someone is trying to steal my identity but if so, why do they not take it all? And I have not had any issues with identity theft at all. This doesn't happen every week, but only occasionally.

There is probably a simple explanation for this, but I can't come up with it. Any thoughts? Does anyone else notice this?:024:

That happened to us a few weeks ago with a lighter trash bag. The water flowing down the street had taken it down to the drain. It had blown into the street and the water had carried it down.

Could someone be taking your cans/newspapers for a charity's recycling project?

Good suggestion, but these were pretty heavy bags with cans, newspapers and heavy bottles inside. I looked up and down my street and did not see any signs of that occurring, and my neighbors trash does not appear to have been disturbed at all. I don't think there was enough water of wind to have done that, but I'll certainly keep an eye on that too.

Any other suggestions out there Village Detectives?

We have only had a bag of recyclables disappear once before the trash crews came by to get them. I had put about 5 bud light cans in with all other stuff. My quess is they wanted the aluminum. Never had our regular trash removed. I shredd any old invoices, credit card apps and other documentation anyway. May seem time consuming but I don't want to be hit like that.

Maybe, but why didn't they take it all? That's a possibility, but why did they take the trash too?

The out-of-towners.
 

Is one of your neighbors on vacation and another neighbor puts these from your home in front of the vacationing neighbor? This may be a few houses up or down the street though. We have had that happen on our block that another neighbor will put some of their trash at out-of-towners drive-ways to hide that they are gone.

If they take it all, you would immediately know it is all missing. If the only take some, you might not realize one or two is missing at a glance.

Z

In my neighborhood a person picks up the recycle bags if they have aluminum cans in them.
They told me they collect the cans for the lion's club.

This is my guess.