Neighbours nicking my raspberries!

[lynda66]

would love to see their faces when they see them all gone

[aud]

cheeky sods.

[darkangel6976]

Put a sign up utside your plot that says 'if you're not invited, you're not coming in!'
It's not cheeky it's stealing and it's breaking the law!
On another allotment in our area there has been a spate of this, growers stealing form other people and it is an outrage-the police got involved according to the local papers.
Glad you have realised it wasn't your fault.
Let us know how it goes!

[Snadger]

Hmmmmmmmmm..............Here I go again..........lone voice in the wilderness! Lol

Are you sure there just wasn't a 'misunderstanding'? There's always two sides to an argument!
Can you think back to EXACTLY what was said?

Until you speak to the person/people involved you'll not know how THEY interepreted the conversation!

I always assume that people are genuine until proven 100% wrong!

Whatever happens you are stuck with your neighbours so it's best if you can at least speak to each other!

I'm not saying there was any fault on your behalf Eden, but things aren't always black and white and a 'clearing of the air' may be the best approach!

Sits back and waits for flack!

[di]

Snadger,you're not totally on your own~although I stand by my first comment that it was a cheeky thing to do....I would also agree with you that it might not be worth falling out over.
We've been offered several bits from various chappies~all telling us to help ourselves if they're not about,however,even though they've said that personnally I wouldn't dream of setting foot on their plot & helping myself in their absence.Maybe it's one of those unsaid rules that the odd few need telling?
Hope it can have an amicable outcome!

[digthatchick]

Hmmmmmmmmm..............Here I go again..........lone voice in the wilderness! Lol

Are you sure there just wasn't a 'misunderstanding'? There's always two sides to an argument!
Can you think back to EXACTLY what was said?

Until you speak to the person/people involved you'll not know how THEY interepreted the conversation!

I always assume that people are genuine until proven 100% wrong!

Whatever happens you are stuck with your neighbours so it's best if you can at least speak to each other!

I'm not saying there was any fault on your behalf Eden, but things aren't always black and white and a 'clearing of the air' may be the best approach!

Sits back and waits for flack!

Wise words - Snadger, wise words indeed. Although I still think it's a cheek

[Paulottie]

I'll back you up too Snadger!

Whilst I agree that it was wrong to help themselves so generously in your absence and I understand how irritating it is.

In this first instance I'd disagree with rushing to tell the council or whoever (but then I'm not the run to teacher sort) and certainly not unless I had at least spoken to them first and established if there was some misunderstanding. If this became some sort of recidivist theft or continual disrespect of your patch then fair enough but go gently as a bad atmosphere might spoil the enjoyment of your plot

Nor would I have advocated trespassing on their plot to recover the canes because you are essentially lowering yourself to their behaviour and raising the stakes; whilst losing the moral high ground and weakening your position in any subsequent conversation/argument.

Did you actually have plans for these suckers? If they have only taken suckers and not damaged your row then they have saved you a chore anyway. If your conversation went well and they are decent folk then they would return the favour sometime (or some of the canes now if required)...If these are newbies who need some kindly induction to the ways and manners of the allotment. It is always good to give generously to newcomers.

If not, you have a row and they are disrespectful eejits, then a sweeter and subtler revenge might have been to wait and pinch all the resultant fruit grown by their labour on their land!

In essence 'what goes around comes around'...and if it doesn't at least beat them at their own game

[jaykay]

Hello Eden.
If you have any canes left over, could you just heel them into some spare ground? Then the next time you see your neighbours could you speak to them directly about offering them some canes earlier in the year etc etc and have the spare canes ready to hand over. Personally I think honesty is best and I would diplomatically point out that you hadn't intended for your own plot to be cleared!

But, worst case scenario is that someone else took your raspberries, and these folk had got their own canes elsewhere.

Hope you get this situation sorted, because as Snadger said, you will continue to be allotment neighbours whether you get along or not.

[Eden]

I agree with all your comments, and although the advise not to stoop to their level, then go pinch the fruit does leave me a little confused!!! I have thought and thought about the conversation I had with them about these suckers on the path, and what is right and wrong. It was only when I thought my own patch was looking a little thin then I looked a little harder and noticed all the off shoots also gone. There were so many I had intended to take half and bulk up my raspberry patch at home, if someone had said I could take the suckers from their patch - I still wouldn't have taken ALL of them, I still say that was way too cheeky. My friend said I could have some strawberry plants, I took 2 and asked if that was OK, same with a rhubarb plant, I took one small crown, not loads.
These people also dumped a huge pile of old cabbage and brussel stalks on the corner of my patch which I thought was bang out of order - even 2 other people down there commented on it and said it was a bit rich, so I eventually put them all back on their patch (I did actually put about a quarter of them in my compost bin, even though I knew they wouldn't break down properly) as I didn't want to cause a conflict.
I have actually returnedall but 6 of the suckers to my neighbours plot, whatever has happened I did say they could have some, so I thought I'd done wrong by taking them all. I am very good friends with the chairman and when I told him what had happened he was less than impressed and although I know he wouldn't directly talk to these folk directly, he always includes these kind of problems in our regular letters which I think is the best way to go about his. When I do see my neighbours I shall explain that I wasn't aware that they were going to take ALL the suckers (still unsure as to what happened to my patch) and that I needed some for home, so I took 6 back, they can't grumble at that surely. I really don't want to fall out with people and I'm sure it will all be ok. In future I'll not let anybody help themselves, if they want anything I shall tell them that I will dig them out. If they had done just the cabbage dumping or the cane pinching then I would have just left it, but 2 things rattled me. So, all in all, sorted, I hope! Thank-you again for all your wise words, I've learnt a valuable lesson here!!!

[Paulottie]

Eden, My point about pinching their fruit was a bit flippant and tongue in cheek ... mainly to illustrate and colour the point. I do not make light of your annoyance nor, in truth, do I think it is acceptable to scrump on anybody's plot, (whatever the history) without their express permission.

We have a small site and everybody is very keen to help and share seeds cuttings and gluts and nobody minds the occasional borrowing of tools barrows -returned clean- etc. Oddly, Until recently we have had a spare plot with a massive raspberry patch that has been supplying us all with suckers and jam!

When I took on our site I wrote to all plotholders on a few points of etiquette. However if any pilfering started I would not hesitate to investigate and terminate a proven offender's tenancy.

The thing about the flytipping is not positive but I do hope that you can still sort this out amicably.

[tricky]

there was alot of that going on on our site (that was before my allotment was stolen )
I would do thesame as you Eden

[Snadger]

Just being nosy here...............have you had a chance to have a word with your neighbours yet Eden?

Hopefully Alls well that ends well (Fingers crossed)!

[Eden]

Hi Snadger, no, not been down yet, was hoping to go tomorrow but I've got a little girl with an upset tummy, so she'll be off school getting some tlc from me. Will go down this week sometime though - at this time of year I hardly ever seem to bump into anyone down there! Thanks for asking, will let you know what happens, all the best
Eden

[piskieinboots]

good luck Eden

I too agree with Snadger mainly because in my yoof I always assumed people understood what I said in the way that I meant it - if you get me - it never occured to me that they might take my meaning a different way .....arrogance of yoof

[spiderpig]

For my sins,i actually work for a council dealing with anti social behaviour....(no don't boo me,i get enough of that at work!) and after a particularly crappy day dealing with joe public,i came home and thought i'd chill out by reading about all things lottie related.
I must say reading this story has been pretty depressing and made me feel like i was back at work again!! This comment isn't mend to offend any one person, it simply sums up the wide range of approaches that each of us have to resolving conflict or communication breakdown.

I can see both sides of this issue and my heart goes out to you Eden because it is pretty likely that the trust that we would all like to have of our lottie neighbours has probably been severely dented and if you can't have this in what should be an enjoyable pastime,then it is a real shame.

My final comments are reserved for the poor raspberry canes,they probably don't know whether they are coming or going...I just hope that they still produce for you!!!I just hope this sad episode doesn't cause you to start counting berries when they eventually fruit because you'll go bonkers.

good luck with it and i hope that when you eventually see your neighbour that you can still pass the time of day and chat. In my job, i have to be optimistic that fences can be mended!!!!