PC stands for pedantic gone crazy. In October last year we moved from a lifestyle block in Rotorua to Papamoa and are slowly getting used to suburbia. We had a wheelie bin in Rotorua, which proved excellent, but going back to a bag on the roadside is something we are trying to get used to.

But things turned sour last week when our bag was slightly over the 15kg limit. (Does anyone weigh their rubbish?) Our bag was left behind by the rubbish collector and we ended up taking it to the transfer station.

This week our bag was not picked up because it was taped instead of tied. The pink sticker on the bag clearly states ‘secure top of bag'. It seems that a bag that is taped is too difficult for the rubbish collector to handle. We requested the Envirowaste manager to call and are still waiting for the phone to ring.

This week's bag had also been sprayed with what smelt like a cat repellent, giving an offensive odour. If indeed the rubbish collector has a problem, we are not interested in silly games and we've since taken steps to organise a wheelie bin.

O&C Campbell, Papamoa (Abridged).