OneBigStick and a Sex Guide

While cleaning out my house the last few weeks, I've been giving away tons of items every day on our local freecycle. If you are unfamiliar with the orginization, it is a recycle group that allows you to post things you want to give away for free. People respond to your email and you pick who you want something to go to and make arrangements for them to pick it up. You can post anything.

Today, I posted something I was a little concerned about, a sex manual. It's not a sleezy manual, I paid almost $30 for it from a local book store. I didn't want to throw it away and figured there might be someone out there that could use it. But I did worry about getting a response from a weirdo.

About fifteen minutes after the post went up I got an email that simply asked if the book worked for me. The email wasn't signed by a woman or man, so I wasn't sure who sent it. Occasionally, I will ask someone how liked a product they are offering for free to see if I want it. So I replied, but tried to keep it clean and above board. I simply said, "I didn't learn anything new from it."

Half an hour later I get a response back. It's a man in his forties who is divorced and wanted to know if I wanted to get together and share information. I didn't answer.

Half an hour later I get another email where he aplogizes for bothering me. All it takes to get kicked out of this group is an email to the admin about this type of behavior and I figured he was scared shitless I going to report him.

I responded and told him that I was not bothered by his email. Just very married.

Half an hour later I get another email where he tells me that he was married for 18 years and the one thing that really brought them closer was having three-somes. I didn't respond.

Half an hour later I get another email asking if we are going to 'do this thing', this swapping of information or not. I do not respond.

Half an hour later I get another email saying that apparently we are not swapping information, but giving me his number in case I change my mind.

I was left with several thoughts/impressions. First, are men in their forties really that desperate? And, who scrolls freecycle trying to pick up chicks? Really, when someone is so not interested, you hand out your number anyway? What, am I going to have a bad-hair day tomorrow and call him up?

And not least of all is the knowledge to check out the handle on someone's email address if I even think it could be a questionable email. The guy never signed his name, but his email handle was OneBigStick.