A thoughtful homeowner who left boxes of chocolate on top of her kerbside garbage bins has triggered an unexpected backlash over the kind act.
Emmalee Lockwood, from Toowoomba, south-east Queensland, posted an image on social media of two boxes of Cadbury Favourites on top of a green and a yellow bin.
‘Merry Christmas to the garbage collectors this morning,’ Ms Lockwood captioned the post.
She said the drivers could simply reach out the windows of their trucks and grab the popular treats.
But despite the good intentions, her post sparked hundreds of comments on Boxing Day when it was shared on Facebook by the Meanwhile In Australia group.
Dozens of trolls jumped on the post to claim the Good Samaritan move would just create more issues for garbage collectors.
‘That would not be helpful as they would have to get out of the truck every time and [it] slows them down so much,’ one person wrote.
‘We saw a post a few years back asking people not to do this because the garbos had to keep getting out of their trucks and it made their day take longer,’ another person wrote.
Many Aussies said Ms Lockwood’s thoughtful gesture of leaving the boxes of chocolate on top of the bins (pictured) would create more issues for garbage collectors
‘Our collectors don’t get out [of] the truck, not even to pick up bins that fall over … so anything left on them would go in the truck too,’ a third added.
Others admitted they don’t give food and beverages such as packs of beer to garbage workers anymore while some said the chocolates would melt because of the heat.
‘Stopped giving garbos anything years ago, they don’t work on public holidays here anymore,’ one person wrote.
‘I used to put some beer on top each year until last year, when they didn’t bother getting it of [the] top so when the lid was lifted … the beer rolled on the ground so didn’t give [it] this year, another person wrote.
‘It’s 34 degrees here, they would be chocolate soup,’ a third chimed in.
Several commenters on social media admitted they don’t give food and beverages such as packs of beer to garbage workers anymore (pictured stock image)
Some praised the act of kindness and said the move doesn’t go unnoticed by garbage collectors.
‘Trust me we appreciate it, and it literally takes 5 seconds to get in and out of the truck,’ one person wrote.
‘I am a garbo and I cannot tell you how much little gestures like this can absolutely make our day … thank you from myself and the drivers that work for me,’ another person wrote.
Several people said it brought back memories from their childhood when their parents used to give garbage collectors beer, a cup of tea or some money for Christmas.
Ms Lockwood said she decided to leave the chocolate boxes on top of the bins as she didn’t know she could leave a carton of beer instead.
Some praised Ms Lockwood’s act of kindness and said the move doesn’t go unnoticed by garbage collectors (pictured)
‘Just so everyone knows I wasn’t aware that we could leave a six pack out so I improvised,’ she wrote.
‘The chocolates weren’t out for a long period of time. 15 minutes max.
‘They were both so grateful and were able to get the chocolates from reaching from their windows.
There are no rules that prohibit residents from placing items such as food and beverages for garbage collectors on top of kerbside garbage bins according to the Toowoomba Council website.
Overflowing bins or bins that are overweight will not be collected and residents must make sure all rubbish fits into the bin and the lid can close on top.
