The following text...

[Jaggerdagger]

"Hi Jaggerdagger. Just wondering if you're doing anything next Saturday?"

But then... THEY DON'T SPECIFY what they want you to be free for! Could be anything. I might be free on Saturday, but I certainly don't want to go to a Rod Stewart tribute act, for instance. Or mud flinging in Gloucestershire when I live in Essex. Or even going to a snotty nosed child's birthday party on my only day off, when I'm a primary school teacher.

Is it just me that finds this really irritating, and that one should always state the full facts in the initial message?

I’ve fallen for the babysitting one. I now always ask why.

Just say that you’re busy and if they really want you for something they’ll specific. Then you can ‘rearrange’ some things, or not, depending on if the thing appeals or not. But I fucking have people who are purposefully vague.

Reply "I might be - it depends!"

Are you Dutch 😂?
Funnily enough British people find it easier to say I can’t babysit because I have to do x rather than I can’t babysit because I don’t want to.

I hate this, I have a friend who does it all the time and wants to meet up frequently when our weekends are precious (secondary teacher here!) Worst part is if I reply and say "oh we have something on in the afternoon" she will then ask what time and try to book me into something before or after it!
I find it really odd, I would always just ask 'would you like to come to a bbq on Sunday afternoon' for example, and if someone said they already had something else on I would never push further!

TBH I would just text back ‘Why’?

I just say no, and then if I don't want to what they have in mind I say no again. It doesn't bother me.

I wasn't going to ask you to babysit my 3 bratlings, I was going to see if you fancied a night on the cocktails. But seeing as you're being all huffy....😉

But seriously, yes, very annoying and usually elicits a "not sure yet" response from me.