The entire time I was thinking:
"Do I need to tell the people who live here that I am taking this stuff?"
"I REALLY, REALLY hope no one from the house comes out and asks me what I am doing! I hate confrontations when I am not prepared."
"What is the etiquette for a situation like this?"
"Are you considered a "garbage digger" if you pick up free stuff on the side of the road?"
To say the least, I was having anxiety about the whole thing. I'd pick an item up and take it to my car and each time I felt like the walk from the driveway to my vehicle was getting longer and longer. I had loaded three items in to the back of the Acura when my worst fears were realized and the ENTIRE family that lived in the house came out of their garage (I'm assuming to get in their car to go to dinner, or something).
The Dad waived at me. And I said: "I'm just taking some of this stuff off of your hands". Silence from the family. I muttered a quick "Thanks", because (at that point) I was so mortified that I couldn't think of anything gracious or charming to say and I high-tailed it to the driver's seat of my automobile and sped off.
The fruits of my labor ended up being a toy lawn-mower, a tricycle and a kids bike they push with their feet. Were they really Free? Or was the price of them items a little piece of my dignity?
I wish that were the end of the story, but No.... It gets worse.
When I arrived home I thought that I should have just taken all of the free items. I had ended up leaving a kid's art table with two chairs, and a nearly-new looking carseat. My brilliant idea was to take Nick's car back over there (because maybe they wouldn't recognize me if I came in a different vehicle! In hindsight: I probably would have looked even more like a crazy-lady. If I didn't want them to recognize me I should have pulled out a blond wig, big sunglasses and my trench coat, right?! Yes, I was slightly insane at that point :)
I hate to admit it, but I did end up driving the Toyota back to the "free stuff" house. I was totally indignant when I got there and saw someone else packing up the table, and carseat! Hey, that is MY free stuff. No fair that they got to load it all up while the owners were not at home. They didn't have to suffer the same way I did.
I did the millionth U-turn of the day on that part of the street and dejectedly drove home. Oh well. At least I got some free stuff.
I never would have thought that I would be facing the same EXACT situation a few weeks later. Fast Forward to a recent moment in time, in the same neighborhood; another "FREE" poster catches my eye. Again, I do the sly Drive-by. Again, I park and get out of my car. Again, I have the same dialogue as before running through my head about how to handle the situation.
The one difference... This time I turn in to Speedy-Gonzales! I grab the item and hustle it to my car. Who cares that it doesn't quite fit in the back of the Acura?! There's no time to take things out and re-arrange everything nicely. It will fit if I slam the back door really hard. Race back to the driver's seat and take off. No awkward encounter with the people that live there and now I have an adorable toybox that matches Reagan's "Big Girl" bedroom to a "T".
Seriously, am I crazy?
Hey! Who cares?! When it's "free"!
6 comments:
Nice Finds!!!! I'm embarassed to say, but my husband is a garbage digger. In Cedar City they had times of the year that people just loaded their garbage out by the street. Garbage sat for weeks. One day David came home from his grave yard shift with a HUGE microwave. (That he carried home, walking)Only to tinker with it and realize it didn't work, so he dropped it off at the house he took it from a few days later. In Vegas he went running in the mornings. His favorite day to run was garbage day. One day he came home with a doggie door. At least your finds have a sign that clearly say "Free" meaning in good enough condition that they didn't just want to throw it away! David brings home other peoples garbage! one persons garbage is another persons treasure I guess. Great story!
I love free! I'm sure those people are just glad to see their stuff is gone, I know I would be, actually my MIL just had a garage while visiting and I set up an entire table of free stuff. Sometimes you just need to get rid of it, you know!
What a funny story! I loved reading this. I;m a sucker for a good bargain, although I've never seen items on the side of the road for 'free' so I must be missing out!
Ha ha , I can just imagine this. Korie would have called me and made me go get them. I don't think she'd ever be brave enough to pack things up. :-)
Looks like you got some great stuff, so it was worth it. Speaking of getting things for free. Last week my mom drove by a house that had a truck load of furniture in it with a FREE sign. She called me, so I raced over there to see it. There was a couch, chair, ottoman, 2 end tables, a coffee table, and 2 rugs, one of them 8x10. The fabric of the couches were super ugly, but were in great condition, and I have been wanting a couch for our loft/toy room, so Braden and I can sit and read books. While I was circling the truck in the driveway, the owner came outside, so I embarrassingly asked him if I could have it all. He said yes. Then I asked him if he would like me to go home and get my dad's truck, but he offered to drive it over, since it was already sitting in his truck. So he following me home and unloaded everything my parents garage. Come to find out, his daughter and son-in-law live in family housing at the U of W, and are in 3rd ward, and my mom knows his wife. So, I know the awkward, embarrassing, sneaky feeling, but hey, I got the couch I wanted for the loft for FREE, and made a new friend!
I love it! I so would have loved to see you go over in a blonde wig:) You should get a blonde wig and trench coat and wear it for Halloween! Dude in Seattle people always put up free signs.
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