WHITBY WHEELIE BIN LEFT OPEN OVERNIGHT — STREET GROUP CHAT NOW AT 340 MESSAGES
One resident called the sight 'confronting'. Another has offered to draft a bylaw.
A wheelie bin on a Whitby cul-de-sac was left with its lid ajar from Tuesday evening until 7.10am Wednesday, prompting a group chat response that has now outlasted the actual rubbish collection by several days.
The bin, a Porirua City red-lid belonging to a mid-street address, was photographed at least four times before dawn. Screenshots were circulated with the caption 'thoughts??' and, in one case, a red arrow.
Neighbour Fenella Braithwaite, 58, told The Daily Yarn the open lid had 'set a tone' for the week. 'You leave a lid open in Whitby, you're inviting things. Rats. Possums. Teenagers. I'm not saying it's a slippery slope, but I am absolutely saying that.'
By Thursday the chat had produced 340 messages, one poll, and a subcommittee. A resident three doors down, who asked to be named only as 'Greg, but not the Greg from number 14', said he'd muted it after message 90. 'It's a bin. It's rained. Move on. But no — now we're drafting a WhatsApp code of conduct.'
Porirua City Council said wheelie-bin lid position was 'not, at this stage, a compliance matter'. A spokesperson added that residents were welcome to close a neighbour's bin themselves, 'if that's the kind of street you want to live on'.
The bin has since been emptied and closed. The group chat has moved on to a different bin.
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Reader Letters
MumOf3_Kapiti
This is what we’re worried about? A bin lid? Get a grip, people.
Selina_WGTON
Mate, if you're so worried, why not just close the lid yourself?
tradie73
Bloody hell, it's just a wheelie bin!
DaveTheBloke
Bin chat subcommittee: peak Whitby nonsense. What's next, kerb-side drama regs?
Garry (Halswell)
Honestly, back in my day, it was easy. You saw a problem, you sorted it. Nowadays, it's all talk and no action.
Trev_Hornby
I once left my bin out for days in Porirua and nobody cared. Different vibe, I guess. It feels like Whitby’s on another planet sometimes!
couchpotato_nz
Anyone else think Fenella's got too much time on her hands?
wild_welly_native
Rats, possums, teenagers—oh my!
kiwikid87
Yeah, just shut it if it bothers you so much. The world’s not ending.