Topic: weird behaviour at allotments...

[legless]

got a weird thing happening. someone is putting rubbish over the fence into my plot, a broken spade, broken pots, a window and old hose... all sorts of stuff. its not like my plot looks vacant or anything.

what would you lot do? it corresponds with a strange old man (who is now my new best friend apparently) starting to help out a bloke with the plot opposite which was a bit of a state. i think the two things are linked.

i defend my definition of strange in that the bloke only grows onions and gave me a half hour tour of his onion filled allotment which is entirely planted with one type of onion.

[Granny_Smith]

I thought that sort of behaviour only happened when you had a skip delivered. Watch out for the Skoda Car next!

Sorry about your plot being picked for 'fly tipping' it's very annoying - perhaps he mistakenly thought that you would find a use for these things.

[Muddy_Boots]

Hi Jo,

I'm afraid I would be horribly tempted to put them back over the fence if I was pretty certain that's where they had come from!  

However, do you think it's worth having a chat with him, along the lines of guess what some incosiderate person keeps doing to my plot?  If he's onion obsessed and one variety at that he may be totally unaware that there is a plot the other side of the fence or could even have forgotten about it!

Isn't it remarkable how gardens and lottie invoke the same protectiveness usually attributed to family, friends and pets!  Nice to know it's because it reflects the effort we all put into them  ;D

[legless]

yeah i think i'll just tell as many old men as possible as they lean in turn on my fence to take the mickey out of me digging!  :D

if it isn't him he never leaves the allotment anyway and may know who it is....

[Ceri]

update please Jo - have you got this one solved yet?

[legless]

well i haven't had anything new for about a week which is a good sign, i didn't speak to the bloke about it, but curiously enough, he has finished clearing the plot - suspicious? moi?

[ina]

It can be so hard to have a chat with people about things they do that you don't like. It sounds so easy to do but it isn't, you just don't know how people that you don't know very well will react and don't we all just want to get along in a pleasant manner?

One lady keeps blocking the communal path with her bicycle trailer, everybody in our part of the complex complained about it to each other but not to her. She used to be able to put it next to the path but the committee decided to plant a hedge along the path so she lost her parking place. Ofcourse everybody is always supposed to park their bikes on their own allotment anyway so it was just bad luck for her and she should have created a little parking space on her own allotment.

One day I came by with my bike loaded down with bags of potting soil, had to get off and with difficulty pushed it around her obstacle, off and back onto the pavement. So I told her in a friendly manner that I wished she wouldn't block the path. So she said I had to see the committee about it, it's their fault but I disagreed saying that it is her cart and she's blocking the path. She then said that she was always able to park next to the path but the committe planted the hedge on her parking place (not part of her lottie). I said that I was sorry about that but that parking place is history now and we, on the other end are not happy with her cart on the path. She laughed like a witch so I thought it best to continued my way and avoid further argument.

Now she is so cold to me but I keep greeting ofcourse when I see her but usually she goes to the back of her lottie when I come near and the cart is still parked on the path but she doesn't bring it as often as before. She never comes by our garden for a chat anymore and I regret I said anything to her about the small problem she's causing. Luckely her lottie is a ways from mine and all the other allotmenteers are very nice but I'm never ever going to say anything that even remotely smells of critisism anymore to anyone I don't know well. It's no consolation to me that most people don't like this lady, I hate confrontations and this one didn't solve anything so it was all for nothing.

[Wicker]

Oh, Ina, I do feel for you.  You did what was  necessary and did it politely.  Just a pity that some of the others affected by her thoughtlessness couldn't have had a quiet word and said they agreed with you. I hate confrontation too and end up feelign worse than the "wrongdoer" - one of life's trials.  Chin up.

[ina]

Thanks Wicker, it's not really a big problem. I just wanted to point out that it's not always wise to be open and honest with people you don't know well, even if you do it in a friendly manner. The problem is that not everybody plays by the same rules and it can cause things to go from bad to worse.

[busy_lizzie]

I am sorry you have had to suffer such unpleasantness Ina.  It is difficult having to approach someone in those circumstances, especially when it hasn't solved the problem and  it has left you bearing the brunt of it.

Having just joined our Allotment Committee, I would recommend anyone who is having problems like that to contact a committee member.  The Secretary can then write a letter pointing out the fault (which is a safety hazard, apart from anything else), and then it doesn't put anyone else in the uncomfortable position of having to deal with it themselves. It must be so infuriatiating for you.  :( busy_lizzie

[ina]

Yes Liz, you are right but I don't like it having to be that way. We are all adults and should be able to sort things out ourselves whithout having to go to a third party but alas, so be it.

[busy_lizzie]

I do agree with you Ina.  Any reasonable person would see she is blocking the way for others and be only too anxious to right matters.  Looks like you have come across a rather unpleasant and awkward individual who doesn't deserve your energy or consideration. Never mind, don't let it spoil your time at your beautiful allotment, people like that tend to be sad and lonely.  :) busy_lizzie