Craigslist Brings The Crazy

We just got Danni a new car. Well, not a new car, but a new-to-her car. Since we're leaving the state, and leaving her here, we wanted to make sure she had something reliable, and not the rolling deathtrap '93 Intrepid that she was driving. That car had no air conditioning, and she already suffered through one summer with it. Driving a car with no a/c in Phoenix in the summer is, metaphorically speaking, hell on wheels.

Anyway, this isn't really about the old car, or the new car, but the crazy that always comes with trying to sell something on Craigslist.

I posted a selling price for the car. It was more than I wanted, because I knew that the garage-sale haggling would come. Not only the haggling, but every single person that called me had a sob story about why they needed me to lower the price. I know times are tough, but seriously.

This morning I had a call from a guy who wanted me to lower the price to $600. I was asking $1000. I said in the ad the a/c didn't work. We discussed on the phone that the a/c didn't work. Well, the fan works, but the air it blows is definitely nothing close to cold. It's a lot closer to hot.

He wants me to lower the price because he has four kids and they're desperate and they just need a vehicle. He is going to have to pawn his wife's wedding ring to pay for it. But they really just need a car. This smelled like bullshit to me from the beginning, so after I gave this guy directions to my house, I called my dad. I was home alone and I wanted someone else there. Now granted, my 73 year-old dad isn't exactly intimidating-looking, but he can be a cranky old bastard when he wants to be. Plus, he always could have smacked the guy with his cane.

So my dad comes over to back me up. The guy with the sob story shows up. He's a young Hispanic guy (too young to have four kids) with a shaved head, expensive sunglasses, and he's full o' bling. He also drove to my house in a relatively new-looking Jeep SUV-type thing. He looks at the car, we turn it on, and the engine turns over quite nicely. He turns on the air, and seems surprised when it blows out hot. I'm sorry, didn't we discuss this? Oh yes...we did. Thankfully, he did not ask to drive it. He told me he needed to think about it. Dad and I go back in the house, and watch out the window while he sits in the SUV and talks on his cell phone. After a while, he leaves. Whew.

Tonight, I did sell the car! To a kid and his girlfriend that Steve had talked to yesterday. They called back today, came over and drove it around the neighborhood. I guess the guy liked it, because they left and then came back with cash about an hour later. I didn't get quite as much as I wanted for it, but frankly? I'm just glad the damn thing is gone.

After I went online and registered a sold notice, I went to my email to get my Craigslist postings to delete them. I didn't check this particular email address for any inquiries on the car, because I put my phone number in the ad. I figured any reasonable person would just call, rather than wait for an email. So imagine my surprise when I opened my email and found this. I swear, this is copied word for word:

"Interested in trading for a Norinco 9mm Chinese Military pistol with 2 clips and $400 cash?"

He also included a lovely picture of the gun for me:




I'm pretty sure that isn't legal. Please tell me that's not legal. I'm guessing if he wants to trade it for a car that it's not registered and I don't want a gun of any kind. I don't think I want someone coming to my house that's packing a Norinco 9mm Chinese Military pistol. I'm trying to decide if I want to reply to this email.



"Thank you for the lovely picture of your gun. Unfortunately, the car has already been sold. But we appreciate your entry into the 'Inappropriate Ways to Pay For a Car' contest. Have a great day, and please...let's make today a murder-free day. Take care!"



Have I mentioned how glad I am the dang car is gone?