You be the judge: should my housemates bring the bins in?

Bin or Bust: Who's to Blame for the Bin Debacle?

A long-standing friendship between three flatmates has hit a snag over something as mundane as bin duty. Ben and Roisin, who moved into their split-level maisonette with Mo just a year ago, claim that he's making a fuss about nothing when he insists they bring in the bins on time.

Mo's side of the story paints a different picture. According to him, the bins have been left out for far too long, and it's not only his neighbors who are annoyed – but also random people chucking their rubbish into them. With the bins sitting at the front of their building, it's creating an eyesore that Mo feels is unwarranted.

"I think it's reasonable to want to keep the peace with our neighbours," Mo says. "They're not being petty, they just want a tidy street." In contrast, Ben shrugs off his responsibilities, claiming he doesn't have time for something as trivial as bin duty. He argues that Mo is overreacting and that everyone should be more understanding.

But who's to blame for this bin debacle? The answer lies in the words of our Guardian readers, who weighed in on social media with their opinions. Most believe that Ben needs to step up and take responsibility for bringing in the bins, as it's not a significant burden for him.

"I'd have loved to have heard from Roisin too," one reader pointed out, "as all three could do with a discussion about men's and women's jobs in the 21st century."

As we weigh in on this minor issue, it's interesting to consider what our priorities should be. Is the bin duty really worth creating tension between flatmates? Or is it just a case of Mo being a tidy and thoughtful roommate who expects his friends to share that responsibility?

Whatever the answer may be, one thing's for sure – our bins need to be brought in on time. Who's with me?

I think this whole bin drama is being blown outta proportion . It's just a matter of communication and dividing up the responsibilities fairly between Ben, Roisin, and Mo. I'm all for having a tidy street, but not at the expense of creating tension in a friendship that's been going strong for a year . Maybe they should have a chat about it and come to some sort of agreement? I mean, who doesn't love a good flatmate discussion ?

I gotta disagree , what's the big deal about bin duty? Ben's not doing anyone any harm by leaving it out a bit longer, and honestly, I think Mo's being super uptight . If he wants to keep the street tidy, maybe Roisin should chip in too? I mean, we're all adults here, can't we just divide up the responsibilities fairly? Mo's expecting his friends to be perfect little roommates without contributing anything, that's not how adult relationships work. Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill , it's just bins!

omg, cant believe they're fighting over bin duty ! like, it's just a bin, not the end of the world . Ben should take responsibility and help out more , but also Mo needs to chill out ...and maybe have a chat with Roisin too ...and yeah, let's talk about the bigger issues too , like jobs and responsibilities in the 21st century .

idk about this bin drama... seems like mo is just trying to keep things tidy & respectful towards neighbours, but ben's all chill about it . shouldn't they just divvy up the responsibilities or make a schedule or something? not sure why it has to be such a big deal . btw, what happened to roisin's side of the story tho? seems kinda sus that she's not speaking up . & btw, men's and women's jobs in the 21st century is a legit topic, shouldn't we be having that convo instead of bin drama

Ugh, what a complete waste of time this bin drama is . I mean, come on Ben and Roisin can't even figure out who's supposed to do the bins without making it some huge fight . And Mo's all concerned about people chucking trash into the bins? Like, what's next? Are they gonna start policing everyone's yard work too? . I feel like Roisin is just using this as an excuse to not lift a finger, and Ben's being his usual laid-back self . It's just a bin, guys! Can't you just...I don't know, take turns or something? . And seriously, who even reads the rules they signed when they moved in? .

The Bin Dilemma
Mo thinks Ben is dodging his responsibilities but I think it's also Mo being a bit too controlling Maybe they should have a bin duty schedule that suits both of them?
I don't know about the 'men should do all jobs' comment, but it'd be great if Roisin spoke up about her thoughts on this. Anyway, here's a simple flowchart to help them decide:
```
+---------------+
| Mo wants tidy |
| street |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+ +---------------+
| Ben says not | Ben does it | Tension avoided|
| a big deal | | |
+---------------+ +---------------+
```
Either way, someone's gotta take responsibility and do the bin duty on time

Ugh, come on! It's not that hard to bring out the bins every week, Ben! You're just making an excuse because you don't want to do something "trivial". And Roisin, where are you?! She's always good at mediating these things. Anyway, Mo has a point about people chucking their trash into the bins... it's creating a mess and an eyesore for everyone! Can't we all just take turns doing our part? Like, literally, just a bin duty schedule or something. Geez, priorities people!

omg i feel like ben is being kinda lazy about this whole bin thing he says it's not a big deal but come on guys it's just common courtesy to bring in the bins after they're done using them! Mo has a point too, it's not just about the flatmates who live there, all the neighbors are getting annoyed with the state of the bins. and yeah, Roisin should get her say in this too, maybe she can give us some insight on why ben isn't making an effort

idk why this is even a big deal ... like, its just bins right? but i think mo has a point about how it affects the whole street tho and ben needs to step up his game cuz it sounds like he's not pulling his weight but at the same time, lets not forget that men do jobs too you know

ugh i dont get why this is even a topic of discussion... its just bin duty lol like if my roommates didnt leave their dirty socks on the floor i would think they were being petty too but seriously, cant we all just chill about it and do our part? i mean ben thinks he can just ignore it and mo gets annoyed because people are chucking trash into the bins... sounds like a big misunderstanding to me

omg can u believe how much drama these flatmates are causing?? it's just a bin, like, get over it! ben's excuse that he doesn't have time sounds so lame and i feel like roisin should come forward to say what she thinks too... but honestly, the bigger issue here is the fact that their neighbors are getting annoyed with all the trash. shouldn't they be considering everyone else's feelings too?

can't believe how people are stressing about this i mean ben can do it every other week or whatever, no big deal. we should be talking about more important stuff than who brings the bin out maybe roisin and mo could have a chat with ben like actual friends rather than just making it all dramatic

i think its super reasonable to expect all flatmates to chip in when it comes to bin duty! like, ben is always talking about how busy he is, but honestly, bringing in a few bins every week isnt gonna kill him... its just about being considerate of mo and roisin who are already doing their part. and btw, ben should probs have a convo with roisin about sharing household responsibilities

omg are you kidding me this is literally the most drama-filled bin situation i've ever seen ben needs to step up his game but also roisin has some major lazy vibes going on and mo just needs to chill out a bit...i mean who gets worked up over bins tho? i think its all about communication, guys have a chat about it and divide the duties or something. btw where's roisin's perspective in all this?

Ugh , I mean, can't these people just work out their issues without making a big deal about bin duty? Like, it's not exactly rocket science... If Ben and Roisin are lazy, maybe they should just take turns doing the bins or something. And Mo needs to chill out - it's not like he's living in a garbage dump or anything . Can't we all just get along and keep our street tidy?

idk why ppl make such a big deal about bin duty i mean its not like they're gonna get fired if they don't do it lol but seriously though, its kinda funny how 3 flatmates are arguing over something thats so... mundane. maybe its just ben being a bit lazy and expecting roisin and mo to pick up the slack? or maybe mo is just super particular about keeping things tidy? either way, can we pls just agree to bring in the bins on time without making it a big deal?

The bin debacle - can't help but think about how this tiny issue is reflecting our broader societal values... like, what does it say about us when something as mundane as taking out the trash becomes a point of contention between friends? It's almost like we're projecting our deeper fears and anxieties onto the smallest of tasks. And Mo's not just complaining about the bins - he's also highlighting the importance of consideration for those around us, of being mindful of how our actions affect others... it's a small thing, but it can be a powerful reminder that even in the most ordinary moments, there's room to grow and learn.

"It's not what you do, it's how you feel about what you do." The way Mo is feeling about the bin situation seems pretty strong, and that's definitely having an impact on Ben and Roisin

i feel like mo is right here , i mean ben can't just leave those bins out forever and expect it not to bother anyone else. a bit of teamwork would go a long way in keeping the place tidy. also, shouldn't they be having this convo about shared responsibilities instead of blaming each other?