Dear All,
For those of you with a trashcan fantasy and a fondness for encasement type scenarios, getting inside a wheelie bin could be a goal.
But there are some precautions.....
1. Obviously, avoid collection day with a close encounter with a garbage truck. It sounds obvious, but it is surprising what true life tragedies are all over the internet about people ending up inside the garbage truck (most of whom die, or suffer horrific injuries). So it is best to chose your own bin. This way you can also control what goes into the bin, so you can avoid broken glass and other nasty stuff.
2. Beware of neighbours who, without telling you, might dump their stuff inside your bin. One reader even told me, they got wheeled to the kerb by a neighbour being 'helpful'. So I recommend taking the wheelie bin indoors. That might sound not very risky, but once inside, it can seem pretty real, even if you are safely behind a locked front door. The risk comes from being discovered with your covert plan to spend time inside your bin. Beware of nosey neighbours and the increased use of CCTV. You will want to keep your activity off their radar.
3. Once you have a safe place, in which to enjoy, remember to upend your bin first. Unless you like sharing your enclosed space with spiders, maggots and the like.
4. If you use a bin liner, you will definitely need to keep the lid ajar. The liner acts as a perfect seal for the bin lid. It keeps smells in, and fresh air out. The general rule of thumb is, if you feel drowsy, check your air supply. Ditto, if you start getting headaches. You could be in the process of passing out due to lack of oxygen.
5. If you have a standard 240 litre wheelie bin, getting in is only for acrobats, and getting out is a nightmare. So that I can close the lid, I find I have to lower myself in on my arms, with my legs bent behind me at the knees, such that my knees rest on the bottom of the bin. So it ain't easy. Getting out, usually involves rocking the bin until it falls over. This is both noisy enough to wake the dead, and mildly painful.
6. Better to have a 360 litre wheelie bin. Getting in, involves standing on a stool, and climbing inside. Getting out, involves raising a leg to it is over the lip of the bin, and climbing out. Again, not very easy, and requires a degree of movement in your body. But it is large enough to sit on the ridge inside the bin, where the wheels go. The main problem, I find, is that your toes get scrunched up against the front inside of the bin, so it is advisable to put a soft trash bag on your shins to alleviate the pressure. Even so, I find I get cramps. Maximum time I have spent inside is 5 hours.
DON'T BE FOOLED into thinking the safety warnings only apply to others. They DO APPLY to you as well. Play safe, and play again another day.
Daffy