Flaky
I don’t like flaky people.
I like people who do what they say.
I’m getting frustrated, trying to get rid of some moving boxes. I got some of my boxes from craigslist, and thought that would be the best way to return the favor.
Of course, the initial contact to get the boxes was not that good. The woman I got them from wouldn’t return my calls or e-mails. I gave one last ditch e-mail or call and asked if she still had them. Eventually the answer was: I was sick for a week. I’m sorry.
So I immediately went and got the boxes. Fine. Everything worked out. The irritation I’d felt as the clock kept ticking was washed away by the relief of getting boxes.
Now a few weeks later, I’m trying to get rid of the boxes. I even found a person asking for boxes on craigslist, rather than making my own post.
She said she was OK with my weird hours; she could pick them up in the morning. The next morning. Just give me a call, I said, to make sure I’m awake. But we set a time.
And that was it. I waited for a couple hours for two different days. And then I was pissed.
I contacted another person on craigslist, asking if they still needed boxes. Nothing.
So then I e-mailed the first person one more time, and politely told her I had the boxes, and did she still want them? If not, I needed to get them out of my house soon, preferably before Christmas. So maybe I could find someone else who wanted them?
She e-mailed back. She was sorry; her e-mail was broken for a week. Yeah. Right. But she’d be glad to come and get them if I’d set up a time.
So I responded politely, said I understood, and come and get them tomorrow at the same time, 10 a.m. Maybe I should’ve been more clear, like tomorrow, Friday, not tomorrow next year.
Friday passed without an answer, though I figured I’d be awake just in case. Same thing today.
I figure she’s had about four chances and I’m no longer feeling charitable to her, no matter the excuse. People use the immediacy of the Internet as a tool: you can contact people quickly and easily, even people you don’t know. They also apparently treat people they meet on the Internet casually; you haven’t met them, you’re not friends, you have no obligation to do anything. Not even pick up free boxes. Not even respond.
Fine. So I posted an ad for free boxes just now. I might feel nice enough, if the woman showed up at some point, to give them to her, mostly because I don’t like confrontation. But I would like to point out that she’s made me get up early four days this week. I’ve stuck around like the dependable person I am. I have all these unreasonable expectations about people: that they will do what they say. I also have all these boxes taking up space. I’m planning on having a nice dinner in a couple of days, and hoped to have them out of here by then. Now I have a feeling they won’t be gone until after the holidays.
Stupid, flaky people. I could recycle the boxes, but I know how hard it is to get them. All I’m trying to do is do someone a favor. I didn’t think it would be that hard.
How rude. If you’re not going to pick up boxes you say you want, why bother asking? And then to repeatedly not pick them up?? I hate it when people seem to think it’s ok to inconvenience you because what you’re offering them is free anyway. Seems like the opposite should be true, that free stuff should be treated with the greatest respect and gratitude.
People suck sometimes. It’s hard to get anyone to answer an ad.
Of course, you know what I say to do with the boxes. Heh heh.
Good news is I got someone who called me today about the boxes. The bad news is that he appeared to have stood me up. He was anywhere between a half-hour and an hour and a half late, depending on which estimate of time he gave me. I had to leave for work; I only hope that the box thing was not a ruse to break in…
Latest update is that I got someone to show up for the boxes, after being kind of cranky in my e-mail, telling her the last two people flaked out on me. I won’t flake on you, trust me, she says.
She didn’t. She even called me when she was late to tell me why she was running late. I was still able to get to work on time. And her fiance will come get the rest of the boxes on Friday.
Meanwhile, I’ve had one phone call about the boxes and another e-mail, so I took the ad down. Hopefully, this woman’s fiance will carry through.
At first I thought this was going to be a rant about how I’ve stood you up for World of Warcraft so many times
I do know what you mean, however. You shouldn’t commit to doing something if there’s a possibility you won’t be able to do it. Sometimes things happen beyond your control, but it’s never cool to waste people’s time for no reason. This is something cable guys and other repairmen could stand to learn. I hate waiting at home all day for a repairman, without any word from him, and then for me to call him at the end of the day to find out he can’t make it and will have to reschedule.