General Etiquette > Techno-quette

Tales from the Crypt ( ohhhh I mean FreeCycle )

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POF:
I love Freecycle .... I love to have people come and take away my old stuff. I also like that someone can use something I am done with.

But - some folks are really kind of rude and demanding. We just listed some really nice toys - that DS's don't use/need and thought we would pass on to another family to enjoy. We also had some small furniture / some household items / fall decorations - lots of nice things.

Some people are very polite. One guy requested 4 of the 6 toys listed - and he apologized for looking greedy - but said his 2 sons would love a couple new things - but he'd take any of the items.

Several people just EMAIL me and say - I'll take it tomorrow. These users ( DH started a list ) - responded to everything listed and all with the same EMAIL. No politeness at all.  ( they are going to be marked as spam )

My favorite is the lady who responded and said because she was in a wheelchair - she should be able to have everything.... because she is in a wheelchair. She responded a lot later than other folks and everything was promised ( and noted on the website ). Additionally - she sent her EMAIL after the Promise was listed.

We've had a  followup EMAILS telling us she needs our address right away because she should get these items, because she is in a wheelchair.  ( She mentions the wheelchair 3 times and does basically say this )

DH nicely responded to her and explained that everything was promised. She responded back - Well I told you I wanted these things ...... ummmm nooooooo.  ::)

hope:
Oh gosh.  That is why I don't mind loading the stuff up and donating it to a shelter or somewhere else.

Reminds me of the time I was holding a yard sale.  Girl (about 10) comes up with her grandma.  She translates "Grandma says you need to sell this big pile of stuff in her arms for one dollar because we are poor."  I replied "I too am poor."  Grandma says something and girl says "But you live in this pretty house."  I replied "I never said I lived here."  I was hoping to teach the girl something about assumptions.

Giggity:
Buddy of mine used to work for a guy who used a wheelchair. Said guy was a bit of a loon and wanted Buddy to find the original of a picture of him that was in a magazine in 1982, or failing that, to copy the picture out of the magazine and have it blown up to life-size.

After attempting to teach Boss how it would be fruitless to blow up a low-res photo, Buddy called the magazine and was told that they didn't have a copy.

Boss's response to that was, "Did you tell them I'm in a wheelchair? That's the last picture of me standing! Tell them I'm in a wheelchair."

Buddy had no success persuading Boss that his ambulatory status has no bearing on picture reproducibility.

MissyMa'am:
The only convenient Freecycle group I could find is in a neighboring county where there is widespread poverty.  So every request comes with a sob story about how hard the person has it, often asking for large, expensive items like refrigerators or furniture.  It really makes the experience kind of negative.

One source of entertainment, though, is a member whose user name includes "pimpdaddy" who is always asking for things like heat lamps for his "herb garden".

dragonflies:
Today a lady posted she wanted lawnmower b/c she moved into her first house and can't afford to buy one.  Yard services are inexpensive here - around $35 for the whole yard.  You normally need it done every two weeks until the middle of November.

Who buys a house and can't figure into a few hundred dollars for a lawn mower?  In our area, you mow from the middle of March until November. 

I know the neighborhood she lives in and its new construction.  None of the houses are up for sale and its too early for foreclosures.

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