The sign that nearly led to a Swinglish divorce.

We can all agree that throwing glass into the glass recycling bin can make a lot of noise, right? (As well as, perhaps more importantly, and embarrassingly so, it can let one’s neighbors in on one’s drinking habits, unless one sticks to the kind of alcohol found in cans.)

After making that agreement, most would also agree that this sign is reasonable. No throwing of glass bottles into the container after 10 o’clock at night. A similar sign might also forbid doing so before 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning. What a good way to keep the peace during the typical person’s sleeping hours.

Then there’s this gem, not uncommon here — well, in fact, rather common here in la Suisse. No throwing away of glass bottles between 8 o’clock at night and 7 o’clock in the morning … nor on Sundays or public holidays. Now this is the part of this post where you, dear reader, may be beholden to tell yours truly to “go back where she came from,” as the Swinglisher’s dear Swiss husband – very, very Swiss husband – almost certainly was thinking the first time the Swinglisher noted and sneered at this type of sign. Like, you can’t take out your recycling on Sunday? On Easter? On the Fourth of July? (Or rather, the Swiss equivalent thereof – the First of August, for those who may be wondering.) “Mais bien sûr que non,” the Swinglisher’s dear Swiss husband – very, very Swiss husband – sneered in return.

Bref: Sunday and public holidays are days of peace and tranquility, not be disturbed by the noise of a citizen – or, more likely, un sale étranger – daring to clear his or her house of unwanted items on these holy days and doing the right thing, environmentally speaking at least, by recycling them.

In the end, Mr. Swinglisher and yours truly decided to agree to disagree, which is a nice way of saying the subject was dropped because neither person could believe he or she had actually married a person who thought this rule was okay/not okay. The topic has not been brought up again. That’s why Mr. and Mrs. Swinglisher are still here, still married, currently in the year post-wedding that can be described as the itchy one. As long as the subject of glass recycling on Sundays and public holidays doesn’t come up again, the Swinglishers will probably survive this year without scratching. If it does come up, however … all bets are off.