Why have neighborhood listservs turned into perpetual handout forums?

[Anonymous]

I'm on 3 listservs and every single day there is someone posting a "give me" message. "Looking for a bicycle, wagon, carseat, couch, bed, coat, vacuum, you name it" if someone has one to give. Kinda sick of it. Offer to pay people for their hard earned material goods or go to a thrift shop.

[jsteele]

Because asking for things works. People are often happy to help their neighbors. If someone posts asking if anyone has an "x' to give a way and if you have an "x" taking up space in a closet that you would love to get rid of, it's pretty easy to respond to their email. It's an easy exchange for both parties.

[Anonymous]

This OP, and in the really, really bizarre case: my friend just moved to a neighborhood that is over the top "rah, rah" isn't this "the best neighborhood ever" (sic).......

Needless to say, she is extremely suspicious that she has instead moved to the worst neighborhood ever. Who has to say its "the best" if it really is?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Because asking for things works. People are often happy to help their neighbors. If someone posts asking if anyone has an "x' to give a way and if you have an "x" taking up space in a closet that you would love to get rid of, it's pretty easy to respond to their email. It's an easy exchange for both parties.

Agreed, I'm on MOTH (from the old hood) and my new neighborhood. I find some asks, but also a lot of gives. If someone needs, people give. In turn, people are always giving old stuff away.

My neighborhoods have been great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm on 3 listservs and every single day there is someone posting a "give me" message. "Looking for a bicycle, wagon, carseat, couch, bed, coat, vacuum, you name it" if someone has one to give. Kinda sick of it. Offer to pay people for their hard earned material goods or go to a thrift shop.

I hate this too!! Particularly since I live in an affluent neighborhood. It's like, if I had one to give away I would donate it to kids in need.
And it's always the same people! And they are looking for expensive stuff usually too.

[Anonymous]

PP, other PP here. ITA. They need a car seat (or whatever) for their nanny to use while on the job? Or even their free help? I dunno. It doesn't seem right when there are people who really need it.

I would gladly give it to the nanny for her own childs use, as I know the nanny gets paid nothing or close to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm on 3 listservs and every single day there is someone posting a "give me" message. "Looking for a bicycle, wagon, carseat, couch, bed, coat, vacuum, you name it" if someone has one to give. Kinda sick of it. Offer to pay people for their hard earned material goods or go to a thrift shop.

I hate this too!! Particularly since I live in an affluent neighborhood. It's like, if I had one to give away I would donate it to kids in need.
And it's always the same people! And they are looking for expensive stuff usually too.

This is how I feel too, especially because I often personally know of the (serial) people with their hand out and I know enough about them to know they could damn well afford a $50 booster seat for the brand new Subaru outback they just purhased, sitting on our block in Chevy Chase DC. conversely, same households could afford to give away the high chair / umbrella/ "well used glider with stains" to Martha's Table. But no -- there they are on the listserv month after month, trying to get that last $25 for it.

Which is how much they earn in 7 minutes of work as an economist.

And before someone says it, it's because they're grabby, not "being green." At least the people I have in mind.

[Anonymous]

It amazes me when people list things for $5 and under to sell on the list serve I'm on. Is it worth the hassle to sell something for $5 or less?

[Anonymous]

I like ours. We mostly have people listing things they have to give away but even if they are selling it, I like to see all the recycling going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me when people list things for $5 and under to sell on the list serve I'm on. Is it worth the hassle to sell something for $5 or less?

Yes. For a lot of people, lots of little $5 items equals a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

13:03 - Takers suck. I would rather call a donation place (far away from the rich neighborhood, like in the other state, far). Or even free cycle. Or a church in another neighborhood.

I have seen people want a car seat for their new Volvo. Ew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It amazes me when people list things for $5 and under to sell on the list serve I'm on. Is it worth the hassle to sell something for $5 or less?

Yes. For a lot of people, lots of little $5 items equals a lot of money.

Believe me when I say these are not people for whom $5 is a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

Really? Anything that recycles is fine by me.

It might save me amtrip to the dump, too.

[Anonymous]

Op, could you maybe email them to let them know how offputting their mooching is?

Or if that makes you uncomfortable maybe leave an anonymous note on their door?

[Anonymous]

A great many people are just classless with this stuff. I think it's pathetic for those not in need to ask for things they could easily afford. Items that could go to people who really do need them. Have some pride for God's sake. It is most definitely grabby.

I was in a thrift store in a low-income neighborhood in PG near where I live (Landover Hills). Being a nosy person, I watched with interest as a very well dressed man hunted through the kids clothes with his wife hollering at him on the cell phone and a harried hispanic employee helping him look. It appeared that they had mistakenly donated a little girls coat. I'm quite sure this guy drove from Bethesda or somewhere like that. The kids' sports/school shirts are often from the swankier suburbs. I thought this was pathetic. Buy another coat -- you losers. Someone probably could've used that.