The infinite variety of useful and disgusting posts on craigslist really amazes me. Everyone knows you can look for a job or a place to live. I've had to spend a good amount of time there in recent weeks on the Apartment hunt. But after staring at housing posts for an hour or two, I always get distracted by the unexplored sections that only Craigslist regulars go to.
For example, do you ever read the
missed connections? For those of you not in the know, the missed connections section is where people write these usually brief but sometimes eloquent messages to people they've fallen in love with on a subway or on a sidewalk. Now, I just wonder why if the person had such a profound effect on you, why you didn't just ask for their name and number. I mean, if you can describe what the girl was wearing, what she was reading, what her bag looked like, and what kind of gum she was chewing, why not just holler at the girl?
Want a free TV? Why not check out the
free category of the
For Sale Section. Because we are such a wasteful society, there are always lazy Americans who would much rather you come take away their shit than them have to move it by car to their next apartment. Ok, so sometimes people just get new stuff. In any event, who wouldn't want a free cabinet, TV, computer monitor, Dog, Horsehead statue, a full bag of paintballs, or an entire case of Canned Organic Pumpkin? (Yes all these items were actually listed)
Did you even know that Craigslist had a forum for everything from
vegans to people who like kinky sex (if you really need to visit this forum, find the URL yourself). There's a forum for people who just want to tell
jokes. Were you raised in the wild? Check out the forum on
etiquette. My personal favorite of the forums? The
haiku hotel.
Probably the best section is the
community section. As with everywhere on Craigslist, you have to filter out the posts from douchebags who want your money, so they overpost and post in the wrong categories. But, if you are like someone I know who can't spend more than 2 hours indoors without going crazy, its a great place to find an
activity like a sport, or workout partner, or a place to
volunteer your time. If you're not too cyber shy, you can use the
rideshare to find a ride up and down the coast, or rarely, cross country.
Because I'm such a positive person (if you know me, ignore the previous comment) I'm not going to mention all the things and people I hate on craigslist. Like any online site, you must use caution, especially when doing business or meeting people. If you use common sense, you can get really lucky. Oh and by the way, the job I've had for the past 18 months... found it on Craigslist.
-J
Labels: activity, craigslist, forum, haiku, housing, jokes, sports, vegan, volunteer
