I’ve posted some items on the local Freecycle board. Some toys my kids no longer play with, usable moving boxes, etc. In my post, I asked that the respondant leave a phone number at which they may be reached.
One person, responding to a offering for a simple doll-house, emailed me the following one line…
“is it a BARIE DOLL HOUSE”
(caps hers!)
I emailed back that, no it isn’t a Barbie Doll House. Just a simple one that the child can assemble a few different ways. Simple panels, a few painted with bright primary colors.
She responds with an email stating simply…
“I’LL TAKE IT”
(again, caps hers!)
Further, nearly half of the respondants answered in similar fashion!
Is politeness to much to ask in our society?
I know… this pitting lacks true vitriol… but it’s the only thing at the moment that’s wound me up.
Freecycle’s interesting, isn’t it?
It’s a great idea, and I’ve had some transactions go smooth as silk with very nice people.
Unfortunately though, after too many transactions like yours, (plus no-shows and other rudeness) I’ve decided it’s easier to take my no-longer-wanted items to the nearest resale shop.
I see this when I list things (sometimes very nice things) in the free section on Craigslist. My unwritten rule is, free nice things go to people who respond in ways other than what the OP got. Thus, someone whose only response is (and it will be all caps, of course): “I WILL COME GET IT AT 4:30” go to the bottom of the list.
ETA: Granted, they are doing me a favor - I list the stuff free because I just want someone to come take it away. But there are many people willing to do me this favor.
You’re doing them an even bigger favor. They’re getting something they need/can really use for free. Fuck 'em if they can’t act like you’re doing something good for them.
I’ve never used Freecycle in Calgary because our local volunteers that run the thing are so rude and peremptory with their dictates from on high that they’ve turned me right off of it - “You WILL do this…You WILL NOT do that…” etc. I take my stuff to the Mennonite Clothes Closet charity instead.
I once and once only tried to give things away on Freecycle. I came into some old desktop computers and thought that people who just needed something to let their kids do their homework would like them.
I quickly learned that I was a terrible person because I wouldn’t deliver, because I wouldn’t meet them at my home, because I expected them to show up on time and because their kids needed better than Vista and couldn’t I pirate something newer.
I ended up taking my ad down and taking all the stuff to a place that refurbs comps for needy people. They told me that they have a rule about freecycle. They don’t do it ever.
I gave up on freecycle years ago because of the absolute lack of manners, abysmal grammar and just plain rude, inconsiderate, stupid asshole-ish people that haunt that organization. I interacted with a few fine people who showed up when they said they would, said thank you and left. Unfortunately they were in the minority.
I just put stuff on the street and leave a message on craigslist telling people where it is. I get emails sometimes, but I just ignore them. I don’t got time for 21 questions.
Knows that I’m tread jacking…but I have to do it. Could you PM me about how to buy your stuff? I remember looking at pics you shared and wanting a vase, but surgery and drugs happened so I can’t find it again.
Thankfully, a woman responded to my Freecycle ads shortly after I posted this on the Dope. She came across as kind and pleasant. She wanted two of the items that I was giving away (wooden trains with track and a dollhouse).
When she arrived to pick up the items, her kids were with her and they were so well mannered and thankful that I also gave her the tricycle that I was trying to sell on Craigslist.
Oh… and frackity frack and all that.
My sister and brother-in-law bought a new tv this Christmas season - they put their old tv out in the back alley, and it was gone hours later. Easiest form of Freecycle.
I’ve used freecycle a bunch and have rarely had the experiences that seem to be the norm for other people. I decide who of the “please let me have it because my last one got stolen by aliens/burned up in a fire/yours goes with my hobby/etc.” emails I’ll answer, send a reply, arrange a pickup. They don’t show, I go to the next person. It (whatever “it” is) stays in my foyer until the pickup goes down. I’m glad I haven’t experienced what others have.
Years ago, keyboards were all capital letters only. (This is like, when Apple ][ computers were carved out of solid granite). Is it possible that some people out there are still using keyboards like that?
[sub](Probably not. You can’t get on-line with network cards carved out of solid granite.)[/sub]
I’ve used it a little bit - because I had heavy furniture that I wanted to get rid of and wanted the person taking it to come and move it out of my house.
It took me 1 transaction to learn the “first come first served” rule.
My local freecycle has a lot of posts for free kittens and other animals. Not sure if that is the norm.
Yeah, I’ve found that putting old stuff next to the dumpster is a very good way of never seeing it again.
A few years ago, I threw away an extremely old monitor, putting in the dumpster. (It was a piece of shit by that point.) It was amusing to notice that it was taken three separate times, and returned to the dumpster three separate times.
