Microphone Please ...

I find, more often then not as you can see, that I just don't understand the nature of people. Here is an example. Last weekend I decided to clean up a few things in the house. My focus was the screened in patio in the back of my house that I really wish we could put to better use. Its become sort of a dump storage area that I haven't been to thrilled about in creating. One of the items in the patio is a big screen TV from 1989. Outside of our first home, I feel it was one of the first big purchases in my marriage. Its been with us through over 10 moves from Florida to Texas and was one of the few objects, don't ask me why, that survived Andrew when we were in Homestead. Around 2-3 years ago some of the bulbs started going out and I wheeled it into the patio hoping I would get a chance to ordering some new bulbs and fixing it myself. Well that never happened.
Last Friday I decided it was time to go. In all my wisdom, I put up an ad on craigslist in the free section figuring someone has to want this thing. Maybe some electrician can tinker with it and fix it and make some $$. Within the 2 min of the post, I had over 30+ replies. I went through the list and tried finding someone to come pick it up. It was going to be gone this weekend I thought. I thought.... It would seem to me that most people would understand what the term "big screen TV needs bulbs" means. Its broken and it needs bulbs. Nope. Human nature dictates that everyone is getting a free flatscreen that's working and maybe has some warranty.

Ok right here is where I start reminding myself how incredibly ignorant people really are but I decided Sunday to try one more time only in the post in which I made it very very clear.

"Free BROKEN 46" Pioneer BIG SCREEN TV needs bulbs" . That's exactly what it said in the title and in the subject I kindly reminded everyone it was broken and it was from 1989 and it was a big screen. Now people..... How many flat plasma displays did you see in 1989? Ok how old am I, 41 this year? Some of these people reading this post on Craigslist weren't around in 1989 much less know or can remember what a big screen tv is. I asked people not to ask where they could get the bulbs or how to fix it or what the model number was.

AND YET THEY ASKED. I even called some of the numbers and one guy even asks "IS IT A FLAT SCREEN? Is it easy to FIX? " In the overdroned redneck hick tone. "My truck is broken, can you drop it off?" Ok at this point I am reminded, PEOPLE ARE F*CKT*RDS!!!

Sorry but again I run into the nature of the general populous that can't quite figure what most of us would see as common sense.

As I began reading through the free offers through craigslist and checking the rolling emails coming in with the same stupid questions asked over and over, I can't help but see that I am trudging in the bottom 1% here. I saw one lady offering a beautifull piano that she clearly stated that 3 of the keys were broken and yet she had to keep reminding people over and over that it was as is and that she couldn't deliver it. I would be honest with you, if I had the capacity to get it, I probably would have. It was gorgeous.

Living where I do, it would seem that I am sheltered from much of this. (I don't have a description at this point of what "this" really is.) But between having my small cult of a neighborhood and the shuttling back and forth to work that I do in the safety of the bubble that is my car, I feel comforted in knowing that I probably won't be posting in places like craigslist for quite some time. Its dangerous out there.

This reminds me of the shirt I once saw where Bart Simpson (if you don't know, don't ask) was looking into his crowd of Simpson cartoonies and the caption read "I see stupid people..." .

BTW, the Big Screen TV. It went out with this mornings trash. Lets see if its another battle in getting my garbage people just to pick it up.