We have a contract with Waste Management to empty a kerb-side household wheelie bin every fortnight. We have had this arrangement for six years.

Yesterday the bin wasn’t emptied - this happens about once every six months. In the past I’ve rung them and they send a truck back to empty it.

I rang this morning and the conversation went like this:

WM: The driver couldn’t access the bin - it was obstructed. 

Me: You mean by something like a parked car?

WM: Yes, if there’s a car in the way, the driver has to leave the bin because he’s not permitted to leave the cab for health and safety reasons.

Me: So this means that, all over the city where the streets are full of parked cars, you just leave bins unemptied. That must mean you don’t actually empty something like 25-50% of bins that people have paid you to empty.

WM: Yes the driver has to leave the bin unemptied because he’s not permitted to leave the cab for health and safety reasons.

FFS. Am I being unreasonable in thinking this is ridiculous? We are now in the position that we will never be sure whether our bin will be emptied - what's the point of having a contract with them?