Some neighbors can be really hard to live next to, such as neighbors that don’t mind their own business.

In today’s story, one neighbor keeps poking around the trash bins in the street, even when one of the bins is there because the trash needs to be collected.

Let’s see how the story unfolds…

Bucket Woman v the bins (again) and my partner

For the uninitiated, the house next door is haunted by a living woman who is fixated on bringing the bins in by 9am because they make the street look messy.

My partner, Martin, nicknamed her “The Bucket Woman” because of this bin curfew, as he said it was like living next door to Hyacinth Bucket.

Our Bucket Woman has been known to blockade driveways with empty bins to drive home her point.

Another piece of relevant background: over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been having an allergic reaction to something outdoors, so I’ve been staying inside.

Good news is, it’s gotten under control and I think we’ve worked out what plant it is. Bad news is (for Martin anyway) I’m permanently excused from weeding.

OP didn’t bring in the bins.

Since I was staying indoors, I didn’t bring any of the bins in.

Bucket Woman hovered around, repeatedly checking the bins and getting more frustrated.

I went about my business, looking after New Human. (OK, I was sleep deprived due to noisy wild creatures and if someone even looked at me wrong, there was going to be a smoking hole in the Universe.)

The recycling bin wasn’t emptied.

When Martin came home, he brought most of the bins in, except for the recycling bin which hadn’t been emptied.

He reported it to the Council as a missed delivery, using their web form, because the Council offices were closed.

Now here’s the important bit: the Council instruction is to leave the bin out until it’s collected.

So that’s what we did.

Cue Martin’s first act of pettiness: he attached a neat sign to the bin lid, saying something like “Missed delivery, reported to Council” and the date.

Bucket Woman kept checking the bin.

That didn’t stop Bucket Woman from checking the recycling bin several times, each time getting a bit more aggressive in slamming the lid back down again and flouncing off.

This went on all weekend. Outside: periodically stalk to the bin, fling the lid open, peer inside, make dramatic gesture, slam lid shut, flounce off. Inside: Ignore, with the occasional snigger.

Cue Martin’s second act of pettiness.

He added another sign: “Leave the bin alone Hyacinth!” (only he used her real name).

The new bin arrived.

The replacement delivery happened on Monday.

I was out, and when I got home I had a tired New Human and groceries to wrangle, so I left it.

Martin normally deals with any bins out when he gets home, but today he wanted to come inside first and talk about our days, so he left the bin too.

The new bin’s lid was broken.

We were in the front room when we heard the sound.

Martin ran out the front door and down the path, with New Human and I following.

The bin was lying on its side in the road, and the Bucket Woman was hopping around on one leg.

In complete silence, Martin opened the gate, glared at the Bucket Woman (his angry face is terrifying), picked up the bin and put it back. The lid was broken.

Everyone went inside.

Martin glared at the Bucket Woman again.

Bucket Woman attempted a dignified hobble back next door.

Still in silence, Martin went back inside. New Human and I followed.

Martin made two new signs.

After a few minutes in the office, Martin came out again, holding two new signs.

Sign1: Broken bin reported to Council

Sign 2: Don’t damage Council property, Hyacinth!

We don’t have to leave the broken bin out until it is collected, but we are anyway because we’re petty like that. (Recycling is collected fortnightly.)

The rumor is Bucket Woman is on crutches.

I have not seen this with my own eyes, but apparently Bucketty is on crutches.

The story doing the rounds is she stubbed her big toe on something and broke it.

I say nothing, but my smirk is worthy of a certain politician*.

* For the unfamiliar, the certain politician is ScoMo, or Scott Morrison, a former Australian Prime Minister known for his trademark smirk.

She really IS on crutches AND is leaving the bin alone.

Bucket Woman sighting!

I can confirm she is on crutches.

I don’t know exactly what happened, because her usual methods of communication are complaints put through our letterbox, or visits from authorities and neither have occurred yet.

The neighbourhood explanations vary from the mundane (stubbed a toe) to the ridiculous (crushed by a wombat???).

The broken bin is still out, waiting to be replaced. She seems to be leaving it alone.

Possibly because “Someone” has drawn a big pair of eyes on a piece of paper, and stuck it to the top of the bin.

Some neighbors really need to mind their own business. Bucket Woman seems like the type of person who would enjoy living in an HOA.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story…

This reader suggests a Bucket Woman YouTube channel.

Another reader also wants to see video of Bucket Woman.

This person suggested another idea for revenge.

This reader is really leaning into the nickname.

Another reader shares that they leave their bins out too.

Trash bins on the street is not that big of a deal.

Bucket Woman needs to mind her own business.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.