Most evenings, the five-minute walk from the bus stop to my home is entirely uneventful.

If I’m lucky, I might cross paths with someone out for an evening stroll, and we’ll exchange a half-smile, both fully aware that a complete smile would be insane and no smile at all is aggressive.

Hard Rubbish, Council Clean-Up. Call it what you want, it is a time of selfless gifting and rampant taking.Credit: Michael Howard

But, generally, it’s a portion of my day when nothing happens, and I see no one. This explains why the sight of two grown men arguing over an old pedestal fan was so difficult to ignore.

“I saw it first, you idiot,” said the man who claimed to have seen it first, one hand on the fan. “Yes, but my truck is already here,” replied the other man, pointing at his truck, which was right there.

Parked on the kerbside, it was overflowing with the rest of his rescued whitegoods: a rusty washing machine, a fridge, and two microwaves.

Eventually, the man with the truck gave in, trundling down the road with his existing haul. As I walked past the victorious party, he shot me a complete and very triumphant smile, gesturing to his new (old) fan. “Pretty decent. Can’t believe people are just chucking this stuff out.”

Trash, treasure? What was once mine, can be yours forever!Credit: Jim Pavlidis

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that was my old fan,........

© The Age