Entitlement mentality

[NMNeil]

I've got an old 91 Chevy Cavalier that's been in my back field for a few years now. Nothing special, base model, hand cranked windows etc. Basically a sound, no frills car which ran fine, but it's been replaced and I have no need for it anymore, also it's probably worth bugger all.
Charged the battery and the damn thing started and ran quite nicely. A quick run around the block (8 miles as I live in the middle of nowhere) and it didn't miss a beat.
So I decided to answer one of the Craigslist ads where someone is looking for a free car, and found one quite quickly. I called the number and a lady answered.
The phone call went something like this:

ME: Hi, it's about the Craigslist ad. Are you still looking for a car?
HER: Yes, what sort of car is it?
ME: A 91 Chevy Cavalier.
HER: Oh. (Said with great disappointment).
HER: Does everything work?
ME: It drives and brakes just fine.
HER: How about the air conditioning.
ME: No, that quit some time ago.
HER: Well before you bring it to me you need to fix the air conditioning, and make sure it's washed and has a full tank of gas.

A gobsmacked pause from me.

ME: Where do you live?
HER: Artesia (About 40 miles away)
ME: I'm afraid that's a no, no, no and no.
HER: But I'm a single mother with a baby, and my husband has walked out on me.

I hung up the phone as the conversation would only go downhill from there, and I know a BS sob story when I hear one as it always seems to involve a baby for some reason. A few minutes later I get a call; from a man this time.

HIM: Why did you hang up the phone on my wife?
ME: So you're her husband?
HIM: Yes.
ME: The same husband who walked out on her?
Dead silence from him; and I hung up the phone.

Is this the epitome of the entitlement mentality and ingratitude; or has anyone on PH had a similar experience making this the norm nowadays?

[catman]

Scum. Always the same when you're trying to help someone. You were a LOT more polite than I would have been!

[SlowAndDull]

The older I get the more cynical, which is a shame as those who genuinely need help feel like they’re being crowded out by the chancers and lowlifes.

Completely off-topic, but looking up Artesia on Google Maps, assuming I’ve got the right place, I’m gobsmacked at how densely populated the LA area is. Do you still get traffic jams like those in Falling Down?!

[SD_1]

Anything free brings out the knuckle daggers in my experience, even something as simple as giving away furniture you don't need any more gets a similar response - "can you deliver it to my house 30 miles away". I can, but I won't. fk off.

Strangely advertising for a low price generally gets the best results with people who turn up and, tell them to put the money in a charity box instead.

[RVB]

Yes, the lower the value the worse the potential buyers seem to be.

I have a pair of respectable half-worn tyres in my garage which came off one of my cars a few weeks ago when I had all four changed.
The trouble is, I suspect that if I put them up for free, or £1 start bid on an auction site, I'll get lots of hassle, silly demands, pointless questions and no-shows wasting hours of my time.

So they're still in the garage and I'm still wondering whether to try to do someone a favour or just bin them to save myself the hassle.

[littlebasher]

In my experience, offering anything for free never ends well.

Always the same, hoards of people expecting you to drop off at the local sink estate as if they're doing you a favour.

[DaveCWK]

littlebasher said:

In my experience, offering anything for free never ends well.

Always the same, hoards of people expecting you to drop off at the local sink estate as if they're doing you a favour.

I had an old freestanding cooker I advertised for free on Gumtree - had loads of hassle; I'm a single mum, will you deliver it 30 miles etc etc.

I re uploaded it with the text 'FREE - buyer collects - first come first served!!!' & literally had someone round in the hour, & they were really happy, like they'd won some sort of competition in being the first round or something

[TVR1]

As the Legendary Judge Judy says...

‘No good deed goes unpunished’

[J4CKO]

I advertised a small shed for free, little metal and plastic thing, like a sentry box.

Ha various people asking if I would deliver it, one was a 100 mile round trip, another was called "Prince Lipsy" who was definitely coming so I said just take it, its at the front, never turned up and got stty when I asked when he was coming.

I think the problem is the people who want free stuff do so because they are skint, and usually dont have transport.

[JQ]

It's also not helped by the latest fad of social media influencer's stating their "side hustle" being "flipping". So if you do give something away for free don't be surprised to see it advertised for £££ thirty seconds after it's been collected.

[NMNeil]

SlowAndDull said:

The older I get the more cynical, which is a shame as those who genuinely need help feel like they’re being crowded out by the chancers and lowlifes.

Completely off-topic, but looking up Artesia on Google Maps, assuming I’ve got the right place, I’m gobsmacked at how densely populated the LA area is. Do you still get traffic jams like those in Falling Down?!

Artesia New Mexico.
https://www.startpage.com/av/proxy-image?piurl=htt...

[johnnyBv8]

I tried to give away four Victorian panelled doors on gumtree and had loads of time-wasters over a few days, people saying they’d take them and not turning up. Changed the ad to £15 each and they all went that afternoon!

[NMNeil]

It's the same logic here.
Put an old fridge outside your house with "FREE" on it, and it will be there forever.
Put "For Sale, $50" on it, and it will be stolen within minutes.

[biggbn]

Once got a Volvo estate for free, had to send the owner a letter telling them why I loved 240 volvos so much. They picked my letter, free 240 wagon with 4 months mot!!

[romeodelta]

I read this and thought it was par for the course nowadays sadly.

Then I read it again and realised it was free

[americancrx]

In fairness, it's a Chevrolet Cavalier, and you normally have to pay a pretty decent sum to get rid of one.

Most of these were inspired by my '93 Pontiac Sunbird.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Condi]

Gave away some rockery rocks from a house I moved into. Little old dear came round, was delighted with them. We loaded her Micra up to the door handles and off she went down the road looking mainly at the sky, with the sound of exhaust scraping along the floor.


Old cars are fun though, they have a personality that new cars just don't have.

[irc]

NMNeil said:

Artesia New Mexico.
https://www.startpage.com/av/proxy-image?piurl=htt...

New Mexico? By USA standards I cycled past your house in 2013. Through Las Cruces, Van Horn and Marfa en route to Florida. Definitely no traffic jams.

[cheddar]

Anything I put on the roadside with a "Free" sign is gone within minutes.

A stinky 40 year old, rain wet, outdoor sofa, gone!
Ripped seats out of a 25 year old people carrier, gone!
A pantry cupboard older than God, gone!

I swear that if I took a st on the roadside and put a 'Free' sign next to it it'd be gone in ten minutes.

Must move.

[Esceptico]

A few years back I did some voluntary work for the CAB. My very first “client” (by myself) was a young lad. The CAB used to give out (if my memory serves me right) food vouchers. Wasn’t much but enough for a meal. However limited to two per person (not at the same time). The young lad had had his two so I politely said he couldn’t have another. Started effing and blinding at me and looked like he might get physical. What a charmer.

I would like to say the rest of my relatively short stint at the CAB was better but to be honest probably 4 out of 5 people asking for help, in my head I was thinking (WTF?) as their problems were either all their own fault and/or they were chancers. Increased my admiration for the long term volunteers but I had to leave before it drained all my sympathy and empathy for less fortunate people.