Man's warning after dangerous find inside letterbox: 'Be careful'
The Aussie is urging residents to always check before sticking their hand in.
A Perth man has warned other residents after making a “disgusting” discovery inside his mailbox.
“Be careful, Fremantle residents,” Joe Davey wrote on a community Facebook group on Thursday. “Found this in my letterbox today. It’s terrible where people leave their used needles. Disgusting.” In a photo posted alongside the caption, a long syringe with an orange cap can be seen laying across several envelopes.
Resident 'angry and disgusted'
Fortunately for Joe, who’s an amputee and has been in a wheelchair for all of his life, he made the find before sticking his hand inside. “I have seen them in our bin area a few times but never in [the] letterbox,” he told Yahoo News Australia. “I felt angry and disgusted. People should always look in their letterbox before actually putting their hand in.”
The 55-year-old was also confused about why he was targeted. “We have 101 units in the block,” he said. “Just wondering why it was my letterbox? There are about 20 boxes in that spot.”
After making the shocking discovery outside his Victoria Street home, Joe says he took the photo to the Department of Housing. “They rang the Fremantle Council and they sent out two rangers who took away the needle that afternoon,” he said.
'So wrong, so selfish'
“That’s terrible Joe,” one person reacted to the Facebook post. “So wrong, so selfish!” said another. “Thank God the lid was on the sharp!” “That’s crazy,” a third commented. “What losers,” someone else said.
Fremantle Council confirmed to Yahoo News Australia on Monday evening that its officers attended a "rare scenario" where a discarded syringe was found inside a letterbox in Fremantle.
"The officers safely removed and disposed of the syringe," Mark Donnelly, Manager Field Services, said. "In the event of a syringe being found, please call the Community Safety Team to assist in safely removing it.
He also urged people to "exercise caution and not touch the needlepoint.”
In Western Australia, needle and syringe programs provide safe disposal containers for any needles and syringes. Local governments and businesses may also supply special needle and syringe disposal units.
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