A binman on TikTok has issued a warning about how poor parking can stop waste collections, urging residents to think carefully about where they leave their cars.
The account Ur Nans Favourite Binman, which has more than 2,000 followers and 13,000 likes, shared a picture showing a road blocked by parked vehicles with too little room for a collection lorry to pass. Rather than focusing on whether individual cars had been parked illegally, the binman highlighted the practical problem facing the waste crew.
Warning over blocked access
“Bad parking means blocked access and no bin collection,” he said. He then asked viewers to imagine the same situation when a much more important vehicle needs to pass. “Don't park like this, imagine if an emergency vehicle needed to get through,” he added.
There is no single UK-wide rule saying every blocked road will automatically result in a missed collection, as councils set their own arrangements for dealing with access problems. However, council policies show that crews can be prevented from collecting bins when parked vehicles make roads inaccessible or unsafe.
Council policies on missed collections
Gloucester City Council says crews will make another attempt within 24 hours if they cannot safely enter a blocked road. If access remains unavailable after that attempt, residents may have to wait until their next scheduled collection.
In Buckinghamshire, poorly parked cars are specifically listed among potential access problems, alongside roadworks, delivery vehicles and building works. The council says crews will try to access the area, but alternative arrangements may be needed if repeated attempts are unsuccessful.
Problems elsewhere and practical advice
The issue has also caused problems elsewhere, with Hyndburn Borough Council recently appealing for considerate parking after vehicles blocked alleyway entrances and affected waste collections. The council said crews had sometimes been unable to gain access, causing delays and, in some cases, missed collections.
For residents, the simplest way to avoid the problem is to look at the road from the perspective of a large collection vehicle before leaving a car there. If there is only a narrow gap between parked vehicles, it may be worth finding another place rather than risking access being blocked.
The binman's warning is ultimately about more than getting the bins emptied on time. As his video points out, keeping enough space on residential roads can also matter when larger vehicles need to reach homes quickly.
