Photographer

Lovely Day Media

Posts: 5885

Vineland, New Jersey, US

I found a guy selling an office chair on craigslist for $5.  The pictures he had showed that the chair is dirty, but I don't really care about that ... it's $5.  So I make the arrangements with him to go pick it up (I'm picking up other things in his area so it's not that big a deal to swing by).

  So I get to his house and he says the chair is in the garage.  I go down there, he opens the door and says "this is the chair".  I looked at it for a second and then asked "will you accept $3.50"?  After about 5 seconds, I couldn't hold it in anymore.  I cracked up laughing.  I gave him his $5 and left with the chair.

  Someone has told me this is really rude behavior and one day I'll meet "the wrong person".  Is this really rude in your opinion?

ETA:  When I started laughing, he did, too.

Jan 27 13 08:11 am Link

Photographer

KonstantKarma

Posts: 2513

Campobello, South Carolina, US

Some people don't have a sense of humor. I'm like this all the time, with everyone.

About everything.

Some people won't get your personality, sure, but I doubt you'll get beaten with a ballbat for it.

Jan 27 13 08:23 am Link

Photographer

37photog

Posts: 710

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

I don't think it's rude.  Sometimes though, I'm not in the mood for humor, or it's one of those jokes you hear all the time, or are predictable in a "Geee, didn't see that one coming smart guy?!" kinda way.

In the back of his mind he mightof been thinking "Haha, now get the F outta my house.".  I wouldn't consider it "Rude" though.

Jan 27 13 08:59 am Link

Photographer

Accidental Plateau

Posts: 7715

Brooklyn, New York, US

There is too much jokes going around these days.

The guy had a chair to unload, was wiling to take enough to buy a coffee, saving landfills, etc., he had no interest in your comedy act. He had no intrest in your witty yuppie/hipster banter.

If you have to ask if you were rude, you were.

Jan 27 13 09:06 am Link

Photographer

Lovely Day Media

Posts: 5885

Vineland, New Jersey, US

Accidental  Plateau wrote:
There is too much jokes going around these days.

The guy had a chair to unload, was wiling to take enough to buy a coffee, saving landfills, etc., he had no interest in your comedy act. He had no intrest in your witty yuppie/hipster banter.

If you have to ask if you were rude, you were.

If I had been dead serious and not joking at all, would it have been okay in your opinion?

Jan 27 13 09:18 am Link

Photographer

Accidental Plateau

Posts: 7715

Brooklyn, New York, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:

If I had been dead serious and not joking at all, would it have been okay in your opinion?

When strangers are buying selling, be quick, courteous and to the point. say nothing that is not 1) true, 2) necessary and 3) nice.

I buy old stuff all the time and if it is $20 or under I just pay what they ask.

Jan 27 13 09:28 am Link

Photographer

Andialu

Posts: 14029

San Pedro, California, US

Accidental  Plateau wrote:
There is too much jokes going around these days.

The guy had a chair to unload, was wiling to take enough to buy a coffee, saving landfills, etc., he had no interest in your comedy act. He had no intrest in your witty yuppie/hipster banter.

If you have to ask if you were rude, you were.

Really?

And to the OP. No, it wasn't rude. I'd get a chuckle out of it if you did it to me. People are too serious....... these days.

Jan 27 13 10:48 am Link

Photographer

KonstantKarma

Posts: 2513

Campobello, South Carolina, US

Andialu wrote:
Really?

And to the OP. No, it wasn't rude. I'd get a chuckle out of it if you did it to me. People are too serious....... these days.

+1

https://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/200H/f/2012/016/3/7/don__t_take_life_seriously__by_brooke1395-d4mlzgx.png

Jan 27 13 10:51 am Link

Photographer

Evan Hiltunen

Posts: 4162

Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

That you would attempt to barter from $5 to $3.50 shows a sense of humor on your part. Any reasonable person would've understood that.

If someone were to get upset in that situation, it just shows how uptight they are.

Jan 27 13 10:53 am Link

Photographer

Peach Jones

Posts: 6906

Champaign, Illinois, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:
I found a guy selling an office chair on craigslist for $5.  The pictures he had showed that the chair is dirty, but I don't really care about that ... it's $5.  So I make the arrangements with him to go pick it up (I'm picking up other things in his area so it's not that big a deal to swing by).

  So I get to his house and he says the chair is in the garage.  I go down there, he opens the door and says "this is the chair".  I looked at it for a second and then asked "will you accept $3.50"?  After about 5 seconds, I couldn't hold it in anymore.  I cracked up laughing.  I gave him his $5 and left with the chair.

  Someone has told me this is really rude behavior and one day I'll meet "the wrong person".  Is this really rude in your opinion?

ETA:  When I started laughing, he did, too.

It is difficult to tell without being there and experiencing the full context and voice inflection. However, I did not see anything overtly rude. A bit smart-allic, but that was about it

Jan 27 13 12:01 pm Link

Photographer

Mark Salo

Posts: 11726

Olney, Maryland, US

I don't see this as rude or funny, either one.  I see this sort of bartering on Pawn Stars every evening.

Jan 27 13 12:05 pm Link

Photographer

Andialu

Posts: 14029

San Pedro, California, US

Mark Salo wrote:
I don't see this as rude or funny, either one.  I see this sort of bartering on Pawn Stars every evening.

The humor is that it is dirt cheap and he tried to talk him down further......

Jan 27 13 12:15 pm Link

Photographer

Lovely Day Media

Posts: 5885

Vineland, New Jersey, US

Andialu wrote:
The humor is that it is dirt cheap and he tried to talk him down further......

What I thought was funny was that I asked if he'd take $1.50 less (as if the "extra" money was going to make or break me) and the look on his face.  It was obvious he was in weird space and appalled because I "asked" for a lower price.  I've seen deer in headlights that look less surprised than this guy.

  As has been said, though, some people have little or no sense of humor.

Jan 27 13 04:08 pm Link

Photographer

Accidental Plateau

Posts: 7715

Brooklyn, New York, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:

What I thought was funny was that I asked if he'd take $1.50 less (as if the "extra" money was going to make or break me) and the look on his face.  It was obvious he was in weird space and appalled because I "asked" for a lower price.  I've seen deer in headlights that look less surprised than this guy.

  As has been said, though, some people have little or no sense of humor.

Usually you kid around with someone after you have known them for awhile.

This was a one time encounter.

Jan 27 13 04:28 pm Link

Photographer

Ralph Easy

Posts: 6426

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Woody Allen would have long been beaten to a pulp if he had not been from Hollywood.

.

Jan 27 13 04:33 pm Link

Photographer

Lovely Day Media

Posts: 5885

Vineland, New Jersey, US

Accidental  Plateau wrote:
Usually you kid around with someone after you have known them for awhile.

This was a one time encounter.

This matters because .... ???

  If I meet a model for a test shoot and that test doesn't go well for whatever reason (especially if she's not a model who takes direction well), does that mean I should be someone else (instead of myself) because I know it's going to be a one time encounter?  Is there something inherently wrong with trying to put a smile on someone's face?  Just because I don't like a model's modeling doesn't mean they are less human than someone who's modeling I do like.  According to Reader's Digest, laughter is the best medicine.

  I mean ... whether we have a 50 year relationship or a 5 second encounter doesn't matter to me.  There is a time and place for everything, but the sale of an office chair is not life or death.  No one potentially got killed here.  Why shouldn't a little laughter be present?  I see people every day who see/feel nothing is funny.  They can live their life as they see fit, but with so much negativity in the world, I do what I can to bring a little positive into the mix.  If that's wrong, sorry.

Jan 27 13 04:43 pm Link

Photographer

Accidental Plateau

Posts: 7715

Brooklyn, New York, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:

This matters because .... ???

  If I meet a model for a test shoot and that test doesn't go well for whatever reason (especially if she's not a model who takes direction well), does that mean I should be someone else (instead of myself) because I know it's going to be a one time encounter?  Is there something inherently wrong with trying to put a smile on someone's face?  Just because I don't like a model's modeling doesn't mean they are less human than someone who's modeling I do like.  According to Reader's Digest, laughter is the best medicine.

  I mean ... whether we have a 50 year relationship or a 5 second encounter doesn't matter to me.  There is a time and place for everything, but the sale of an office chair is not life or death.  No one potentially got killed here.  Why shouldn't a little laughter be present?  I see people every day who see/feel nothing is funny.  They can live their life as they see fit, but with so much negativity in the world, I do what I can to bring a little positive into the mix.  If that's wrong, sorry.

There is a time and place for humor.

And I would avoid it when visiting someone's home, someone I just met, and for a one time encounter.

Jan 27 13 04:56 pm Link

Model

angel emily

Posts: 1020

Boston, Massachusetts, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:
Someone has told me this is really rude behavior and one day I'll meet "the wrong person".  Is this really rude in your opinion?

I can't see anyone getting so upset that they'd punch your lights out, but who knows?  It's Craigslist.  A more likely scenario is that you might encounter someone someday who doesn't get the humor right away and feels you're backing out on a deal you had previously agreed to and gets pissed -- but could you blame them?

Some might wonder....

Jan 27 13 04:57 pm Link

Photographer

Accidental Plateau

Posts: 7715

Brooklyn, New York, US

OP, someone told you that, and you sense that the guy was put off a bit. This is not only my opinion.

Avoid the "inside joke" when it is only you inside.

Jan 27 13 04:57 pm Link

Photographer

EdwardKristopher

Posts: 3409

Tempe, Arizona, US

Lovely Day Media wrote:
I found a guy selling an office chair on craigslist for $5.  The pictures he had showed that the chair is dirty, but I don't really care about that ... it's $5.  So I make the arrangements with him to go pick it up (I'm picking up other things in his area so it's not that big a deal to swing by).

  So I get to his house and he says the chair is in the garage.  I go down there, he opens the door and says "this is the chair".  I looked at it for a second and then asked "will you accept $3.50"?  After about 5 seconds, I couldn't hold it in anymore.  I cracked up laughing.  I gave him his $5 and left with the chair.

  Someone has told me this is really rude behavior and one day I'll meet "the wrong person".  Is this really rude in your opinion?

ETA:  When I started laughing, he did, too.

As long as he laughed, Not Rude.

Laugh and the World Laughs with you!  :-)  Be careful when it doesn't...

Jan 27 13 07:30 pm Link

Photographer

EdwardKristopher

Posts: 3409

Tempe, Arizona, US

Andialu wrote:

Really?

And to the OP. No, it wasn't rude. I'd get a chuckle out of it if you did it to me. People are too serious....... these days.

Absolutely +1

Jan 27 13 07:33 pm Link

Photographer

KonstantKarma

Posts: 2513

Campobello, South Carolina, US

I wonder how people with big sticks up their asses get through life. It's hard enough already.

Jan 28 13 06:37 am Link