The Glade 4.0

Just because I feel like complaining and want to complain about something other than what I complain about everyday....


Freecycle is a pain in the butt. The stuff that I post for pick-up, people message asking if I will deliver it to them or if I will drive 15 miles to meet them somewhere...I've only had one successful pick-up.
In our area, 95% of the posts are from people asking for free stuff...usually cell phones and baby furniture/clothing, but people ask for all sorts of other things as well like tents, fans, transmissions for their cars, bicycles, etc.
There is one lady that makes the most requests...just this month she has asked for bedding, a toddler bed, a fan, sheets and comforters, and a blue-tooth ear piece. Last month she asked for hangers, twin size bedding, queen size bedding, kids clothing, and a cell phone (really!) "for her son."
I can understand the occasional request for something you think someone might have laying around getting musty in a storage shed or something they weren't going to use anyway, but for the most part I thought the whole idea of freecycle was to post things you wanted to give away and WAIT for someone to post something they want to give away and then reply to the post....not for 9 out of every ten posts to be someone asking for something that most people aren't going to just give away to begin with?

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

Don't let it affect your charitable deeds. Post your stuff and let them pick it up, and ignore the moochers trying to abuse the system.

There will always be a part of society that tries to take advantage of things. I don't know how the system works (never heard of it before) but if there is a way, ignore those asking for all these goods and perhaps those who truly need the help will get it, while those trying to abuse the system will go without.

Be careful inviting these people to your house. There have been many cases where people have been robbed or even murdered as a result of an online classifieds ad.

As a rule I *never* let anyone know where I live. I always arrange to meet at a neutral, and very public location.

Just drop it off at a charity. Goodwill or Opportunity Village or similar.

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Holy shitsnacks!

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

Or, just leave it out in the street as trash, and the mexicans will come take it away before the garbage men get there.

That's usually what I do.

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Holy shitsnacks!

X100000

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We've dropped a lot of stuff off at our local charities. There are a number of things though that fall in that category of not-quite-trash but not-quite-donatable either...that's where free cycle comes in.
Like, we ripped the net on our trampoline so we took down the poles that were on top holding the net up...if I tried to donate those, they would just throw them away. I could leave them out by the trash, but we have a shortage of foraging Mexicans out here, unfortunately. There was a lady on free cycle who just moved up here and was wanting some to build her chicken coop....so, there's some things I don't have to throw away and someone gets to use them.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

If you live in a college town, just set it next to the dumpster and *poof*.

I don't see any real harm in posting asking for things. If you're having a tough time it's an option to help your family out. It's not begging, really, since it's a place where people go to give things away anyway. It's a turn off, sure, but... yeah.