Have you heard of Freecycle?

It’s an online group where you can post things you want to give away, or look for things you need that someone else is giving away. The idea is to keep it out of the landfill. The groups are operated on a local level. (You can search the site to see if there is a Freecycle list operating near you.)

One of my biggest pet peeves about Freecycle is the “wanted” posts. This is when people post their wish lists on Freecycle.

Now, I could understand something like: “Does anyone have a broken mirror they have been meaning to get rid of that I could use for a mosaic I am working on?” That is something that would normally be thrown out and you want to put it to good use.

What I hate are the posts looking for things like a computer (working condition only) or a PSP (Play Station Portable). Yeah, you read that link right; they cost $169.99!

There is a blog called Meeeecycle that posts “Outrageous, ridiculous, solipsistic, and excessively clueless Freecycle posts,” though it hasn’t been updated lately.

I was once going to do a post on my old blog about it, so I recorded the outrageous Freecycle wanteds for a few days from my local Freecycle. Here are a few good ones:

Video camera (the kind that has computer uplink) & tripod
30×80 hollowed out interior door and wood base board
Car roof rack and storage container
Clothes and shoes for a girl (sizes given)
College text books (specific ones listed)
Fencing, at least 3 feet high, any type, including posts
Dresser and a loveseat that reclines
Laptop (as in computer)
Tires (as in usable ones, sizes listed)
Cell phone antennae for car

Okay, can you see why this peeves me?

Then there was one where someone put out a call for books (genres specified) because she “need[ed] something to read, but [had] no money.”

All together now, can you say library?

Ugh!

I had stopped going to the Freecycle board because this was getting on my nerves so much. It was at the point that there were more “wanted” than “offer” posts - to the tune of 5-to-1!

And at Christmas, people were posting their kids’ Christmas lists, including things like snowboards!

Okay, okay, calm down.

Where is all this coming from, you might ask. Why did I go back?

We had a computer to give away, so we posted it. I received so many responses, I wasn’t sure who to give it to. I like to do first come, first serve, but I decided to a search on the members to see what their posting history was. (Yes, I am that crazy.)

The first responder had a history of no offers, but he asks for a computer, or laptop, or wireless router, every month like clockwork, sometimes more often. No freaking way was I going to give our computer to this guy. I don’t care what kind of person that makes me.

The second responder had a clean record; lots of offers, very few wanteds for things that are old and usually the kind of things someone would want to get rid of.

Just for kicks, I checked the next five responses. All of them had no offers and all wanteds for outrageous things. Every single one of them.

I should note here, the Freecycle policy states that you must make at least one offer before you post a wanted. And it says that you are not to post wanteds for things that people would not normally be giving away - like a PSP!

Okay, I have sufficiently vented, you all know exactly how crazy I really am, and balance can now return to my universe.

And, most importantly, I can stay away from Freecycle now that our computer is going to the home of a nice, good Freecycler, who’s daughter is going to use it to do homework on.