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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Throat Punch Thursday: “Free Stuff” In the Front Yard People


Throughout this summer, and the summers of the past I’ve seen a growing trend around my city as I drive through the neighborhood streets. 

It’s not the increase in lemonade stands hosted by adorable children.  Or the rise in car wash fundraisers for a local school or kids organization. 

It’s not even the increase in garage sales which seem to peak in the month of August.

No, it’s not any of those.  What it is though is the increase of random crap put on the very edge of people’s property with a sign taped to it that says “free” for everyone to see.

Now, I totally get the purpose behind a Garage Sale.  I do!  People have items in there home that are of gently used, if not brand new quality and feel they can sell it.  I say have at it!  Go ahead.  If you can sell something that somebody else can use for a profit, good for you!

But I’m not talking about Garage Sales. 

I’m talking about those people who put out their broken sinks, moldy bookcases, broken bikes, chairs that only have two legs (IF it’s your lucky day), pissed-on couches that cats have also used as a scratching post, and the white leather chair that has now taken on a yellowish green tint to it.  They haul it out of their homes, garages, out from the depths of their backyards and they put it out for the entire world to see with a big sign that says “FREE!”    Ummm…yeah, I’m going to load that kind of stuff right into my car and bring it into my home!

What in the world are these people thinking?

It’s got to be something like this.

“This is a piece of crap, I don’t want it in my home, and I’ve got to get rid of it.”

“It is so hideous, it smells, and it doesn’t even function properly, nobody in their right mind will buy this if I have a garage sale”

“I’m too damn lazy to load it into the truck and take it to the dump so I’m going to put it out on the edge of my property with a FREE sign to see if somebody who obviously has no taste at all, or sense of smell for that matter will take it.”

So my very first Throat Punch Thursday goes to these lazy people.  Take your useless, smelly, nonfunctioning crap to the dump like the rest of us in the city do because quite frankly I’m tired of looking at it all when I’m driving around my town!

Do you have these FREE stuff contributors in your neighborhood?

26 comments:

Alison said...

Yikes, that's basically just chucking your garbage onto the sidewalk!! How uncouth.

Jessica said...

This house behind me filled their driveway with free junk. It was terrible. And, there is still a bunch of it out there because no one wants it.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Alison,

Right? Luckily it isn't every house up and down the streets but it really is offensive to the eyes when you're driving or walking around and see crap cluttering up the sidewalks.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Jessica,

That has got to be SO frustrating! I hope you don't have to look at while in your house!

I've oftened wanted to put a "take your crap to the dump, nobody wants it" sign OVER their free sign!

Liz Mays said...

I haven't seen it in a long, long time, but yes, I've seen it. The sad thing is that people really do pick the stuff up and take it!

Galit Breen said...

Hee! Too funny! I so hear you sister!

Kimberly said...

I hate when people do that. I mean really, what are they thinking?!?

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

blueviolet,

Thank you so much for visiting me and commenting! I truly appreciate it.

I've never seen anything be taken. Sometimes things will sit there for months! You would think that would be a good clue to just get it to the dump ASAP!!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Galit,

I mean really? Who wants this stuff? It's not really free anyway since you would have to purchase materials to fix the items from the beginning! UGH!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Kim,

I have no clue! Other than they are too lazy to take the stuff to where it belongs...the dump!

Shell said...

The funny thing is that it usually works!

Missy@Wonder, Friend said...

This always makes me laugh, too. I'm extra amazed when I see someone stop to pick up the junk. Never fails - someone takes it. My son begged to get a chair that we saw sitting out on the curb. He pleaded with me for half a day to go get it before he finally realized he should just give up!

Rach (DonutsMama) said...

We see people do this, but it's amazing that people do take it. And rather quickly too!

Missy | Literal Mom said...

I see that craziness all the time around here. And many times the stuff gets picked off! One man's trash really IS another man's treasure.

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Shell,

I want to see the "FREE" stuff in your neighborhood because, here for some reason it sits for months!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Missy,

LOL! I've never ever seen someone pick something up. I've never even seen it there, and gone later.

I'm glad you didn't cave! LOL!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Rach,

The stuff around here just sits and sits, and maybe that's why it drives me crazy! I mean if someone doesn't take it say a day or two, isn't it pretty obvious that nobody will ever take it? I should have posted pictures of this stuff, but I have a crappy phone!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Missy,

I have yet to see something get picked off. It sits, and sits, and doesn't move until the weather gets bad! Drives me BATTY!

Bridget said...

Can we throat punch the people in floppy jalopy trucks that drive around and pick up the crap too? We can? Thanks.

THE SARCASM GODDESS said...

MY HOA bans us from doing this. I hate pretty much all the rules of our HOA, but that is a good one. Get off your lazy asses people!

Megan (Best of Fates) said...

That is definitely tacky - hopefully after it keeps not getting picked up people will get wise and stop!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Bridget,

Abso-freaking-lutely! It is those trucks that keep people thinking that they can put the crap out there!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

The Sarcasm Goddess,

Thank you! Why is it so hard for people to just throw their crap away. I mean if it is so disgusting it can practially walk on its own. Nobody wants it!

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Megan,

I really, really hope so. But for some reason random crap keeps showing up by the sidewalks. *sigh*

Elena Wollborg said...

I have free stuff contributors, but I also have the garbage pickers who go around and pick everything up. So crazy - who wants that crap?

Hopes@Staying Afloat! said...

Elena,

I simply don't know who wants the crap. I don't get it. I just drove by a house today that had a sheet of glass that had a huge visable scratch right down the middle of it, out on their lawn with a big ass sign saying FREE! It drives me INSANE!