To think these so called 'people in need' are taking the piss??

[HenriettaPye]

I'm on a group in Facebook which helps each other out with giving away things you no longer need, which others might. I've gave away some of my old baby things to people who have genuinely needed them. However there are some people taking the total piss on it! Just been on a wee look and today alone someone has posted
'anyone giving away an iPod? Not the shuffle one, I want one with a screen'
And-
'Anyone a laptop they don't want anymore?

AIBU to think this is not asking for help, but fully taking advantage?

One did make me laugh though- someone wrote 'anyone giving away any size 5 sandals? I only have boots and its too warm to wear them in this weather.' And someone replied 'go to primark and buy a pair of £1 flip flops!!

And your personal data isn't necessarily secure on a public computer either.

You can't use Universal Job Match without an email address, and to keep your JSA you are expected to access your emails regularly and reply to any messages from potential employers. Suppose your nearest library is some distance away. You'd spend a lot of your JSA on bus fares.

Why don't u take this up with the government then sooty? If they ate so necessary to live in, surely everyone is ENTITLED to a laptop then...

I'm astounded by the lack of manners on my local FB for sale page.

A lady is giving away a sofa for free, messages consist of "av u got pic"

Sooty you are obviously just looking an argument and I'm not rising to it!

You started the thread, not me. I'm just pointing out the facts, of which you appear to be woefully ignorant.

You posted in AIBU. Were you only prepared to accept responses from people who agree with you?

Thanks, TheJoyfulPuddleJumper

I work with excluded people who are trying to find work. I see the attempts of the Job centre to sanction them every day.

"Why don't you take it up with the government" is a ludicrous response. Has this government shown any signs of ensuring people have what they need? Do you think financing laptops for everyone who hasn't got one is remotely feasible?

Yes libraries do have PCs that you can use ...

• if your local one hasn't been shut down by cuts
• is open at the time you need to use it
• you get a one hour slot on what is usually an achingly slow machine with ridiculous firewall settings and dated Office systems
• and you need to reserve it well in advance
• and you don't mind risking your online security / passwords etc

As others have said access to a laptop or pc isn't a luxury - its a necessity and not having one disadvantages you considerably.

As for an iPod - its not a necessity but it's hardly a luxury. And there are plenty of them sitting around unused in drawers when the owner has upgraded. I have at least one. Personally I think a Moses basket is a luxury. I, and many others before me have managed to raise a baby without one.

What kind of society do we live in when we begrudge passing on items that we no longer use to those who cannot afford them?

Also the fact that you laughed at someone who aggressively mocked a person who can't afford to buy shoes suggests you are not that nice a person.

ipod with a screen - an absolute BOON to many people with serious mobility type disabilities who can't use non-touchscreen tech! My Godfather and an ex-colleague are quadriplegics that both come under this category. My godfather uses one for audiobooks as the poor man cannot physically turn the pages of a book. I'll not begrudge him that small pleasure ffs in an otherwise pretty grim existence.

laptop - I have a son who can't use paper and pencil to write due to his disability so has to use a laptop/alpha smart for ALL his school/homework. Our current home XP desktop PC is cobbled together from scrapped machines for less than £40 - not everyone has the technical skills to do this.

For many on benefits access to a computer is the ONLY way they'll realistically find work now so many jobs are only advertised online and the world and it's dog expects you to submit CV's via online forms or email rather than snail mail.

Our local internet cafe is usually full of low income individuals applying for jobs/benefits/ doing coursework etc. It costs 50p an hour and many have to budget their usage at that rate!

You need to decide whether a free way of ensuring your unwanted stuff doesn't end up in landfill is less important to you that feeling "worthy". If it's about feeling then "worthy" than there are many better ways out there to do this than simply giving people your trash. (A charity ball is usually great fun, & supports a good cause, for instance but will cost you in either time or cold hard cash or both).

Who are you to decide who is deserving of what items? You only donate what you choose to after all.

I don't understand how suggesting £1 primark flipflops is aggressively mocking, it sounds to me like the person is trying to help? Perhaps the poster didn't know primark does £1 flipflops?

It doesn't sound helpful to me - and in any case the OP said quite clearly that she thought it was funny.

I was thoroughly pissed off ( maybe wrongly) with someone trying to bargain down a Dyson to £10, when all their fb was 'waitin' 4 mi takeaway' and 'woowoo, off 2 see beyonce at O2' etc. Yes, maybe they were having a takeaway bought for them or got given the tickets etc, but maybe not.

I've never had an ipod, nor am likely to get one!

My local library is not open every day. It opens for a couple of hours a day, excluding Sundays. You cannot just turn up and use one of the three computers. You have to book a month in advance.... This really will help a person on jsa wont it?

Ipods. Yes for some people in society they are not considered a luxury. Complain to some of the AAC (augmentive and alternative communication) programmers for not doing affordable programs for none apple products, or to create programmes that are stable on android. We would have saved a small fortune, from donators, if we could have successfully used android.

I agree that people can sometimes take the piss, there is someone on my local facebook freecycle asking for baby equipment, some of it is fair enough (clothes, stroller, bedding) but she also wants a jumperoo, smart trike, cot mobile and has specified she wants a pink baby walker and swim ring .

Here's a thought - perhaps the person doesn't have a pound to spend on clothes or live near a Primark

I think a FB group that lets its users get away with that sort of comment needs to review its moderation policy.

I saw a debate about this topic on my local facebook page earlier. Its a local page similar to freecycle, nothing can be sold only given for free, but at the moment the whole wall is filled with 'wanted' posts. YANBU to think these people are taking the piss. I hate seeing posts where the poster is really specific about what they 'want'. I have no problems with people wanting a free computer for example as in this day and age a computer is useful for applying for jobs on, but the poster should be grateful to recieve any computer if they are that desperate for one it wouldn't matter if its old or not a well known brand.

Here's a thought about primark... Maybe the person, no matter how skint they are, refuses to shop in primark because of how bad they treat their staff... How big was that fire again?

Damnautocorrect I gave away a car on freecycle. It was an old banger that needed a bit of work, I needed something more reliable, it was only worth scrap and I loved it and wanted it kept on the road. I suspect the people I gave it to scrapped it though, I'd rather someone had it who needed it.

God I am so sick of these Freecycle style moans that have been doing the rounds on MN for years.

It is NOT taking the piss to ask for something. No-one has to give it.
It is perfectly reasonable to ask for something specific and to ask for pictures if it's a big item.
In most cases people who take your unused stuff away are doing YOU just as much of a favour - saving you petrol, disposal fees and a trip to the tip.

You don't have to give anyone anything if you don't want to.

I have seen someone ask for - and receive - a car on Freecycle.

The theme of all these threads is poor people should be grateful for any old shit. Yes it weighs a tonne, runs Windows 97 or MS DOS and has a dial up connection and doesn't work but they still should just take it.

We have similar requests on a Facebook page I'm on. Things along the line of, Wanted X-box. Must be perfect condition as it's going to be a present. Cheap please, am really skint.

Or wanted-designer girls clothes-excellent condition only considered. Haven't got much money. Pls deliver as cant drive.

Cheeky, I'd say.

"The theme of all these threads is poor people should be grateful for any old shit."

This. Also that poor people should make do with the absolute bare minimum.

I moved house last year and found an old iPod. I gave it to a local charity shop because it's one close to my heart but equally, I would have been happy to give it away to someone who would have made good use of it. I wish I'd thought to go on a page like that, we gave away and had to throw away so much stuff.

Just to add - some people are cheeky buggers but it's unfair to tar everyone with the same brush.

I don't have an iPod. I don't even really know what they do? I don't mind about that. I can see that asking for an iPod is towards the 'chancing your arm' end of the scale BUT, in the UK we are massive consumers of electronics and they all - however expensive at the outset - are replaced/re-used/recycled on an endless loop.

I think perhaps the 'want' adverts should be removed. Certainly where brands or specifications creep in because that does make people wonder how much an item is actually needed.

There's no defence though, OP, for the sandal comment. The original comment was written by a sad excuse for a human being.