Now that's just strange
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63235)
United States
August 31, 2010 2:57am CST
I've told folks about this great Yahoo Group I'm on, the local Freecycle group.
I've got some utterly awesome things from it - frames and bagged tea being the most recent "scores" from it.
I've also rehomed many a cat litter tub, and just today, found new homes for a couple of other items.
One was a George Foreman grill. Now, everything we ever fixed on it was AWESOME, but it was a PITA to clean since you OBVIOUSLY couldn't put it in water...
So, the roomie got a new grill and I offered it on freecycle where it hadn't been offered 5 minutes before having 2 hits, the first one came for it today.
Back to the strangeness.
Today I got another person who wanted it, but I'm not sure he was on the group or if some friend forwarded the email to him.
He sent me an un-named email saying he wanted it, like he thought he was the only one who might be asking.
I wrote him back that the grill was PPU.
He wrote back wanting to know what "PPU" was.
So, all day we have had these very short email "conversation" ending with him thinking that since we like the same done-ness of meat we might like other things and was I a woman?
I replied that I was female, but that I was in my late 50's and not interested in dating at the moment.
Kind of creeps me out, people are that desperate for a date? **shutter**
I kind of got the idea that English might not be his first language, which really is fine, but... well, that kind of makes me glad he DOESN'T have my address or phone number.
Anyway, since I told him I'm not interested, I think if he writes again I probably won't respond - oh, I'd read it to make sure there's nothing to respond to, but...
Is this the way people pick people up these days? if so, I don't know that I like it...
What do you think? was he trying to pick me up?
8 people like this
16 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
31 Aug 10
i DON'T KNOW WHAT PPU MEANS EITHER. I know u are saying, DUH. It sounds like to me he was trying to pick u up. Think i'd cut out the e-mails w/him. He sounds wierd to me.
3 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
31 Aug 10
Thanks for explaing. I think i would have taken a pass to. He might be a loonie, alot of them out here. Have a good day. U haven't mentioned your mom in a long time. Hope she is doing as well as she can.
@GardenGerty (157555)
• United States
31 Aug 10
LOLm Maybe, with a poor grasp of the language, he thought YOU were pending pick up. I enjoy reading freecycle, and almost never win anything on it, except once when I REALLY needed it, it was my time to get a new stove. I know that some people even set up a dummy account just for their freecycle so they do not give out even their regular e mail I would shudder and feel creepy about it myself.
3 people like this
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Yeah, there are a lot of people who go thru freecycle, Craig's list, etc and either scam you for stuff or even scam you as "dates". Houston police frequently check Craig's cause of all the people selling so to speak. These days you can't trust anyone for anything.
2 people like this
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
31 Aug 10
...sounds to me like a pick-up.
Even if you're not interested...what ever happened to "the old fashioned way"?
For me?
I think this "new" E-dating thingy is for the birds!
cdrxo
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
31 Aug 10
there is something to be said for making people known to others, but interests need to be considered, I'm just not interested in people these days who aren't fans, and most fans are either attached or even too weird for ME, and that's going some!
2 people like this
@Humbug25 (12540)
•
31 Aug 10
Hey there ElicBxn
I think for sure he was trying to pick you up! I mean he wouldn't need to ask you if you are male or female because it shouldn't matter if you are eitther if all he wants is your grill. When people have been alone for some time and are lonely they seek love where ever possible and any opportunity arises they will take it and you were being nice to him so he probably thought he was in!!
3 people like this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
1 Sep 10
I think he was trying to pick you up. He wouldn't have cared if you were female otherwise. How strange to think that just because you like your meat done the same that you would have other things in common.
When I was going to therapy, I had a guy ask me out also and I thought the same thing. It seemed like he was desperate and I just wasn't interested in dating at all.
If English wasn't his first language, maybe he was from another country or something and you won't have to worry about meeting him anyway.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
31 Aug 10
Yes he was Elic
That is the way they do it including the sick ones
To me People like that are dangerous and I would not have responded I would have let him go to Spam and stay there it scares me when that sort of thing happens
I hope you never heard back from this Person
@BarBaraPrz (45498)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
31 Aug 10
He may have been. It takes all kinds, as the saying goes, and maybe he doesn't have any other outlet. Or, he may be trying all options: Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as another saying goes.
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
31 Aug 10
Be careful, a lot of people come to the States and before their Visas are up, they try to marry an American. I have a friend who has been having a rough time with that because she's with a singles online club and it seems like they're all men trying to get to or stay in America.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
31 Aug 10
actually, it is no longer possible to get a "green" card by marrying a U.S. citizen, so I'm not tooo worried about that, but it doesn't seem that English is the first language and the last name sounds, maybe Hispanic, but could be ANYTHING these days...
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
31 Aug 10
I dunno if he was trying to pick you up or just pull a prank. Just delete the e-mails & block the sender & call it a day!
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
1 Sep 10
Hey Elic~ Just last night I responded to a similar discussion,
from another Lotter who had a similar experience when putting
something up or wanting to buy something on another site and
the prospective buyer although not interested in what she was
selling looked her up on another site which she wondered was
creepy too! Sounds like it is getting scary to try to be nice
and buy or sell things online because someone is going to hit
on you, sight unseen, knowing nothing about you? She was upset
too, and was asking the same question!
2 people like this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
5 Sep 10
I am sure that was a intersting converaation. it might that is english was his second langedge and some miss undersanding occoued. he may have been trying to pick up but maybe he was talking aobut someting eale? who knows but I do not think you have to worried about him anymore.
1 person likes this
@lindaharding627 (1442)
• United States
1 Sep 10
I do think that he was trying to pick you up. I would report it to the local freecycle administrator because freecycle is not a dating group. Its purpose is recycling and even if he was a foreigner, he needs to know that is not appropriate.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
4 Sep 10
sounds like the same model i have-the plates are permanently affixed.
it could be just yahoo.it almost seems guys troll it for pickups,i swear to god.
some friends and i used to chat through there and it seemed no matter what there was always guys poking their head in to hit on people.or the "ya wanna see my webcam" folks..
but yea,he probably was.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
31 Aug 10
LOL...This was definitely a pickup. You run into all kinds online. I have had my share of idiots that I have had to block because they got a little too fresh...and even in "safe" chatrooms, no less! Some guys just have no sense of propriety and think they are God's gift to women. It is scary how many predators there are out there. It is wise to handle with care anyone who gets too familiar with you, even online. I know there have been many creeps that the cops have gone after cuz they were using the internet to stalk their prey so it is always wise to be cautious. Good luck, Elic...and be safe.
1 person likes this
@alaskanray (4636)
• United States
1 Sep 10
Just be careful, girlfriend. I don't want to read about you in the headlines!
