# Damnit, I'm afraid of Craigslist now **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873 "2009-06-24T21:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/1 "2009-06-24T21:09:45Z")
I used to be a Craigslist maniac. I bought a bicycle, comic books, a car, _my dog_ for god’s sake, and I can’t even remember what else off of there. I sold stuff, too. I had no problem strolling into some random house or letting anyone who called come over here. Last night I put up an ad for a big, dated entertainment center that we want to get rid of. We’re moving in 2 days and don’t need it, want it, or want to move it. I’ve had 2 responses and I don’t want to call them back. I don’t know if it’s 'cause I have a baby now or what, but I’m just freaked on Craigslist. Too many stories of Craigslist murders and robberies and whatnot. Even if most of them are apocryphal. Even if the odds are worse than Powerball odds. I’m just skittish about it now. I know I shouldn’t be. Damnit :mad::(. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/2 "2009-06-24T21:31:07Z")
It’s kind of like the airlines. Thousands of flights that go off smoothly and nearly on time and nary a peep on the evening news. But let one crash or be hijacked and it’s global news for the next week. You’re in more danger traveling to work every day. Buy. Sell. Trade. Be happy. But also be careful. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/3 "2009-06-24T22:12:14Z")
Perhaps you can provide some links to the contrary, but I cannot recall of any Craigslist murders or similar violence that didn’t also involve another stupid or sketchy factor. For instance, participating in the sex-trade will be inherently unsafe regardless of where your advertising. I’m not confident that Craigslist is the deciding factor here. I think its probably still safe to sell your sofa there. Now, you’re still virtually guaranteed that Craigslist will permit you to successfully discover incomprehensibly flaky bone-headed people that will swear desperately that they want to purchase your couch in four hours and never appear, but they probably won’t end up throwing you into a wood chipper. Probably. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/4 "2009-06-24T22:31:01Z")
You’re moving in two days. That makes being burglarized next week improbable, at least. If you can post an ad with a phone number and area, but no street address, and have a neighbor who’s willing to wander over for any viewing appointments, that would cover most of the risk. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/5 "2009-06-25T03:50:03Z")
Tonight I scored on craigslist, sold my two extra tickets to Indigo Girls, whatta feeling. Turned some folks on and got back a little cash in my pocket for concert shwag. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/6 "2009-06-25T06:50:04Z")
I’m sure this won’t assuage your fears; we just had a [Craigslist murder](http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/slain_washington_county_woman.html). It was a seriously fucked up in the head woman though, and she could have met her victim through any avenue. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/7 "2009-06-25T15:23:36Z")
I used to feel that way about newspaper ads. Sold a car and some jewelery that way, but was leery of who might turn up. After a bunch of calls with no interest, though, I was happy when someone did actually come by. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/8 "2009-06-25T15:23:50Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I’m sure this won’t assuage your fears; we just had a [Craigslist murder](http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/slain_washington_county_woman.html). It was a seriously fucked up in the head woman though, and she could have met her victim through any avenue. True. We had a murder very similar to this a few years ago (but the baby lived). The murderer found her victim by stalking the baby departments at various stores. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/damnit-im-afraid-of-craigslist-now/500873/9 "2009-06-25T15:41:25Z")
If you don’t need the money from selling it, why not put it on [freecycle.org](http://freecycle.org) and give it away? You don’t even need to be home- you can instruct any takers to pick it up outside your house. Or, around here at least, if you put anything, and I mean anything, at your curb, it will be picked up within hours by trash scavengers.