I occasionally put things on a local Freecycle-esque Facebook group. General rule I have is collection only unless very local (within 5 minutes walk). I put an old DVD player on the group and it languishes, I forget about it until someone asks if it’s still available. I send them the details for collection and play the usual game of “Can you deliver it to the other side of the city?” “No.” Finally I am asked if I can drop off at the person’s grandmother’s house about 10 minutes gentle walk away. I say fine, drop it off on Friday evening and let them know it’s been dropped off. I remind them to give their grandmother a head’s up and to collect it soon as there is rain on the way. Messages stop.
Sunday comes and I get a message. “I don’t have the DVD player.” Upon questioning the idiot, he hadn’t told his grandmother about the delivery. She had opened her door, found a “suspicious package” (with the idiot’s name on it) and called the police. Police collected it. I assume they still have it but as I told the idiot “My responsibility ended as soon as delivery was made. You’ll have to contact the police yourself.”
What a pillock.
P.S. If an editor wants this as a more submittable story, I’ll post a more detailed version on request.
