Jeff and I are involved in the local Freecycle lists. The premise (for those who don't feel like making with the clicky) is, one person has stuff sie no longer wants, offers it to the list, someone comes and takes it away. Very cool, and one can find some pretty neat stuff...including the slightly broken but not really broken desk chair my butt's currently resting in (It used to be adjustable to any angle. It still tilts forward and back, but isn't lockable any longer. Which is why it was given away).

There's only one thing that really bothers me about the lists. People who ask for things. There *are* definitely times when one must..."My clothes all exploded, does anyone have anything in a medium?" "I was offered a construction job, but can't afford the boots...does anyone have a pair laying around in an 8.5/9?" Those are perfectly acceptable to my mind. The ones that really piss me off are the people asking for televisions, portable dvd players, computers and so on. Oh, you'd like an air conditioner? How unique...I'll bet no one else in the area would like one of those this time of year. People defend this, saying that it might remind someone that hie has something laying around that fits. I think that if I had a portable dvd player I was looking to freecycle, I wouldn't need a reminder.

What really bugs me is the sense of entitlement behind the request. I doubt it's conscious, but it's there. There's no way to mention this to the lists, of course. So I'll stay cranky and make all sorts of snarky comments to my computer screen and husband. Sometimes at the same time! (Oooh, ahhh)