The Spirit of Giving

[belladonna]

I just saw a post on EDF advertising a CRT monster television for ?80! lets face it old crt televisions are destined for the scrap heap, just freecycle it...save dumping it when no one buys it. I just gave a small one away, the guy i gave it to was so grateful, he has been sitting in a studio flat in london on his own, a brother in hospital...he gave me a card and chocolates and a glow of satisfaction that one more thing was saved from the dumpand an irishman alone in London has something he needed. I just went up to the Old Kent Road dump, I cannot believe the items some people would rather throw away than redistribute to people in need or charity shops.

It's criminal.

Freecycling is a much more ethical way of disposing of stuff. and as for these people who are asking ?10 for tatty old items when they don't need the money or request bottles of wine.....in return for a chair which is loosing its legs ....really, we are all up against it but some more than others. Just give it away.

www.freecycle.org

[Voyageur]

Maybe the person concerned is on their uppers. Live and let live.

[DulwichFox]

Giving away or selling an old TV can cause problems....

You may find you are responsible if the device is faulty and say 'catches fire'

That is why most if not all Charity Shops refuse to take them.

Best to take them to the local dump where they will be dismantled safely..

DulwichFox

[Loz]

Some British Heart Foundation shops will take electrical goods, including TVs. I think the one on Old Kent Road does and they will pick stuff up, too.

[speedbird]

Belladonna, maybe, just maybe, the person selling the old TV is just trying to raise money for Christmas or to feed their kids or to pay the electricity bill or something you have no idea about. In the spirit of Christmas, let it be. Don't throw rocks that may cause a great deal more hurt that you may intend.

[Jeremy]

People trying to sell old rubbish for unrealistic prices is nothing new.

But on the other hand, I am wary of giving things away free (unless I seriously need to get rid) because there are lots of people around who will take it off your hands and then re-sell it.

[????]

I got the bloke in a van with a "do you want a free Christmas tree?" line yesterday, scam? Or has my cynicism means I always look in the mouth nowadays?

[PeckhamRose]

Live and let live. Noooo I hate that phrase. It means someone will walk on by while some injustice is going on around you, it condones bullying of one sort or another. It allows for observed wrongdoing.

['bout now]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Giving away or selling an old TV can cause

> problems....

>

> You may find you are responsible if the device is

> faulty and say 'catches fire'

>

> That is why most if not all Charity Shops refuse

> to take them.

>

> Best to take them to the local dump where they

> will be dismantled safely..

>

> DulwichFox

you ARE my Father. AICM ?5.

[LadyNorwood]

Curiously the OP has advertised loads of stuff for sale on the EDF....

[holloway]

poor ol' irishman

[Voyageur]

PeckhamRose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Live and let live. Noooo I hate that phrase. It

> means someone will walk on by while some injustice

> is going on around you, it condones bullying of

> one sort or another. It allows for observed

> wrongdoing.

Really? Odd how different people interpret things. I always interpreted it as 'don't make judgements on other people as you don't know their circumstances'. Condones bullying?! Nope - not in my book.

Anyway, back to the OP, you don't know their circumstances and they may be desperate. Then again they may not be. Live and let live (my interpretation).

[ASolanilla]

Belladonna... Just as an FYI, if you saw our other items in the section, you would have seen that we gave away our other large TV for free just a few days earlier. In the middle of a flat move and Christmas, we wanted to try and raise some extra funds for christmas. As it happens, we left it in the flat for the next tenants so looks like we aren't Scrooges after all.

[northlondoner]

The Spirit of Prim ....

[belladonna]

When I first saw the responses to my slightly 'ranty' post i was amazed by some of the comments. (and not a little upset)

My intention was to proselytise for freecycle as an alternative to selling stuff, but hell if anyone needs the cash badly, by all means try to get it. I'm down at Battersea on a regular basis trying to make enough money for the key meter, or this week's groceries. However since becoming a member of freecycle I am often amazed by people's generosity, the 'play it forward' theory. You give something away, one day you get given something you really need. I was even given a small VW Polo once.

I had just been to the dump and I get downhearted watching people who find it more convenient to destroy something rather than give to a needy person.

It's the eco warrior in me I guess. No judgement.

[El Pibe]

tee hee, you said "I had just been to the dump"

[belladonna]

Yes indeed.where i was disposing of garden rubbish, cardboard, building detritus eetc....broken furniture...what the dump is for and the last time i returned with a dimplex oil filled radiator...keeping me warm this winter