The jobsworth mod on my freecycle group has done it again

[WendyWeber]

DS2's bike is on its last legs and I posted a Wanted for another one if poss (this is a men's bike, he's 5'8 and growing) but I added that if anyone likes fiddling with bikes maybe they could make the old one live a little longer.

Mod's email back, in under an hour:

So if we chuck the old bike away that's better, is it

I just checked out the parent site's FAQs and it doesn't anything there about not asking for services and being only for tangible things.

they sound slightly nuts

The IMMENSE power of being a freecycle mod has obviously gone to their head.

We have a "freecycle cafe" where you can ask for services

Def a power-crazed nutter

How does that work, Flame? It's a great idea.

Gosh you must live near me.

I got my post removed for saying "Please" twice in one post ... "Pity posts are not allowed on freecycle"

Saying please twice = a pity post, colditz????

WTF???

Is there a central freecycle place to complain to about crap mods? I know they are doing it in their own time and all that but christ on a bike, do they really not get the point?

I know!

I should have just posted "Give me a bike. Now."

You'll know next time

I asked to borrow something and you can't do that either

You should have asked for bike & said you have one that needed a wee bit of work done if someone else wanted it!

I bet you would have got an email from someone!!

I love my freecycle.

I offered baby blankets last week & a member of the local dogs home said she would take them... I've just spent a lovely afternoon there!

Ooh there was a post on mine the other day asking to borrow a high chair for a short hospital visit!

WendyWeber - ours is like that - she edits people's messages and then puts out a post saying 'a reminder blah blah blah blah' and puts the poster on moderation for a month.

Power crazed junk monkey.

We allow borrowing though - I've had people borrow my tile cutter - they are bloody expensive and you only need them for a day or so.

BTW check out www.vskip.co.uk It's a tad sparse at the mo, but could be good.

the scrap man will have it and may even give you a shout if he finds a bike in better condition!

a rag and bone man came round last week, before i could rush out (laden with old tat) he went i throw away so much stuff

I have a tumble drier sitting here. The door has fallen off it & we think the motor has burnt out. I was going to put it on freecycle but dh says that would be insulting! I thought it might do for spare parts if anyone wanted it, but he said no.

Also have an old car in the shed that stopped going.. they would both go to a scrap man if I ever see one!

The cafe is just an extra yahoo group and it is for chat, information, advice requests etc

Basic etiquette from freecycle.org

Doesn't say no borrowing. Doesn't say no help/advice/services.

Does say (elsewhere)

I have replied to my jobsworth accordingly. I'll probably be sacked

ooohh what did you say????

"Hi, X

No, this doesn't help.

I have been looking over freecycle.org to see where it says no posts for advice etc, only for tangible things, but can't find it. Feel free to send me the link. (NB not the one from XXX group - one from the source)

I did find the following, however:

This sucks, you know. I know of at least one other group which has a "cafe", where exchange of services, advice etc is encouraged. Do tell me exactly how this goes against the ethos of freecycle.

Feel free to bar me from XXX in future; I'll return to YYY, where they appear to be human. But I will spread the word.

Cheers."

Thanks, Flame, for your cafe example

After sending that email I pored over our group etiquette file and there is nothing about tangible things (wish I'd pored before!) so I sent a PS:

"Actually I have just read through your Etiquette bit in XXX group Files, and I can't see where it says no "advice, information, help etc" THERE, either."

(Felt like adding ner-ner-nerner-ner after that!)

I love our freecycle, but our mod is a bit of a jobsworth too. Having said that though, there are loads of people who post silly things, so perhaps it's just as well. There's certainly plenty to keep her occupied. Someone asked for a nintendo ds lite the other day - in pink, no less! Not quite sure how that one got past her eagle eyes.

We gave away our huge old table today and was delighted that it went to some resident new doctors at our local hospital. The chap who replied said it would be great for those working Christmas to have a proper sit down meal, and for celebrating birthdays etc. Took me back to my pre-children days of my youth and large gatherings of friends at such times. Made my heart all warm to think it would be used in this way.

Well, posts on ours seem to come through instantly on email, so they must get hauled off later, and I haven't spotted any pink-Nintendo-lite-type posts.

(Mind you I do see Takens for things I never saw the Offereds for - not sure how that happens )

I am so pleased to hear about your table aero. Junior doctors' accommodation in hospitals is absolutely dire, so it will really be appreciated.

Our freecycle mods can be a bit daft too. When I was pg I asked to borrow a tens machine for a couple of weeks around my due date. They said I had to ask for things outright so I didn't get one.

But last week they happily allowed someone to post "Wanted: Large Flatscreen TV for my room"

Ours are exactly the same ,your not from Sheffield are you?
They are all bloody jobsworths in my opinion
I once got one refused for putting "can anyone help please" when I asked for something

I suspect rogue TAKEN messages come from the mods taking all the best stuff, Wendy.