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AIBU?

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Original poster

Dared to be silly on Freecycle, and shot down in flames for it

78 replies

shyoutgoingtype · 31/07/2020 09:29

I was in a very silly mood the other evening, and this amazing car was parked outside our house - an Aston Martin - I was joking with my partner how I might get one and said oh shall I see if I can get one on Freecycle? Very daft, of course not. But I was feeling mischievous and went ahead and posted an advert asking for an Aston Martin! I only expected jokey responses 9f course, that was the whole point, but I only had one reply, basically saying that I should "save up like the rest of us and buy a Ford" and that I had "cheek", then later I got a message from same person saying that I'm not funny and hope I've learned my lesson!! Blimey!! We've actually got a 15-year-old Nissan Micra and we live in a rented flat, I wasn't taking the Mickey out of anyone... Crikey! I felt like a criminal! My question is, is it now against the law to have a bit of a joke and a lark, when it's not at anyone's expense? Have I now got to censor everything in case I will insult anyone?
I feel like I've been chastised for just making a harmless joke.
What does anyone else think? xx

OP posts:
Twigletfairy · 31/07/2020 09:33

That sounds irritating rather than funny. The person that responded was probably fed up of people taking the piss with the amount of things people ask for free. Although I do agree the response was a bit much. They should have just ignored the post

MouthBreathingRage · 31/07/2020 09:36

Honestly, people shouldn't have bothered replying. It's so boring reading people trying to be funny with fake posts, why do you waste your time doing so?

Starbuggy · 31/07/2020 09:37

YABU

It wasn’t funny, just irritating.

LemonyFace · 31/07/2020 09:37

I would have laughed at your post 🤣

ConstanceSalinger · 31/07/2020 09:39

In your head it sounded really funny. For everyone else it was not. In the nicest way you should stick to making jokes on your family and friends WhatsApp group. I'm not even sure you were shot down in flames here. You got a pissy comment from one person that wasn't even rude.

itsaratrap · 31/07/2020 09:39

A lot of people rely on Freecycle for basics. They thought you were taking the p.

contrmary · 31/07/2020 09:39

The trouble with putting a joke out in public like that is that any fucker can read it. Not everyone has a sense of humour, or at least not the same sense of humour.

I once listed a book on ebay for £1000 as a joke with a friend. It got picked up by the author on their blog and I spent the next few days with my inbox swamped with messages ranging from people who thought it was hilarious through people who thought I was an idiot to people who thought I was the worst person since Hitler. (I'd even put 10% of the sale price to go to charity!)

NovemberRain2 · 31/07/2020 09:41

Are you one of those "I'm mad, me!" people? Because often they are funnier in their head.

Hazelnutlatteplease · 31/07/2020 09:45

So you used a tool that people use either for ethical reasons or out of genuine financial hardship, to have a pop at the concept of the site and wondered why those users (who you definitely were laughing at) didnt get the joke.

Are you always so lacking in empathy and consideration for others?

DappledThings · 31/07/2020 09:47

If I'd seen that I would have assumed it wasn't serious. But my reaction would still have been "what a twat" rather than "ha ha"

AnneLovesGilbert · 31/07/2020 09:50

You obviously think you’re very funny. Lots of people won’t. Bad luck.

Laaalaaaa · 31/07/2020 09:50

Hilarious, sides are splitting. Or not. Don’t be surprised if you get blocked from the page.

vikingwife · 31/07/2020 09:51

To be fair, a lot of people here can’t take a joke either Grin

SparkyBlue · 31/07/2020 09:51

@NovemberRain2 that's exactly what I am thinking. OP in the nicest possible way I know you meant no harm but what you thought was great fun is irritating as anything to most people.

BoingBoingyBoing · 31/07/2020 09:52

Maybe don't be a twat in the future eh?

JRUIN · 31/07/2020 09:53

I get that you were just trying to have a bit of a laugh OP, but it was a bit insensitive to do it on a place like Freecycle where to people in genuine need it would probably have looked you were taking the piss. Maybe think next time before you post.

fuckinghellapeacock · 31/07/2020 09:56

Can you really not see why someone with no money who is looking at freecycle for a washing machine or something would be irritated by that? Save it for your local facebook chat page where your hilarious banter will be appreciated.

CorianderLord · 31/07/2020 10:00

God it's a site people use to find free things because they don't have much money why are you acting up like a teenager? Sounds obnoxious and dull

Azerothi · 31/07/2020 10:00

Did you put kisses at the end of the freecycle post as well?

tanstaafl · 31/07/2020 10:00

Have you heard of the reddit sub thread called choosingbeggars OP?

Bottomplasters · 31/07/2020 10:02

Read the subtle art of not giving a fuck and dont

TrickorTreacle · 31/07/2020 10:02

I have put several items up on Freecycle and they went within minutes. When it's the other way round however, I've not received a sausage.

On that principle, I put that the OP is not being U as the platform is full of leechers. They someone was offended by the OP's post, then sucks to be them!

TooTrueToBeGood · 31/07/2020 10:02

You made a joke but freecycle is not a humour site. I class that sort of thing as noise at best and trolling at worst and it seriously gets on my tits. If one person does it then others feel able to do so as well and then end up with so much noise nobody can see the on-topic posts. As an admin of a couple of groups I spend far more time than I should have to clearing up off-topic nonsense because of people like you.

PlanDeRaccordement · 31/07/2020 10:03

Only acceptable on April Fools Day. Any other day and you’re being an idiot and low key harassing people who depend on freecycle.

Mintychoc1 · 31/07/2020 10:03

Sites like Freecycle are really useful. Then enable people to get stuff they can’t otherwise afford, and also prevent reusable things being thrown away and ending up in landfill.

I know it was a one-off throwaway joke, but if hundreds of people started doing the same, then the site would become useless.
So YWBU and you shouldn’t have done it.