You don't say anything....... I'm just dumbfound!
You offered, I guess they didn't need it that bad.
It was a nice offer.

Are they elderly??

I have meet lots of weirdO's like that in my life~~~why would they ever think that you would deliver it?? Your were nice to offer it;)

I dunno, I could easily see that happening. When I offer someone something, I usually bring it by next time I see them. I wouldn't read too much into it. Maybe they thought you had it already loaded up in the truck.

There isn't much to say except what you said. You handled it very nicely. I guess they'll be doing without a fire.

I'd have phrased it differently.

"We have some extra firewood, if you would like to come and get it."

Then there is no ambiguity at all.

Very kind of you CS. Hopefully they aren't as bad financially as you were led to believe. I can't imagine passing up free firewood from right down the street!

Well, Carolyn, at least you tried to be kind. It's too bad they weren't nice enough to at least thank you for the offer. Even if they're old, surely they could find someone to pick it up and stack it for them. What a downer!

I say, "Bring it over here...light a fire for me...cook my supper...wash my dishes...tuck me into bed."

Just kidding, Carolyn. I say, I will not call and offer them anything else.

I won't tell you what Larry told me I shoulda said to her... lol but he sure dropped an F bomb...

They are aware of the pile of wood we have as her husband has mentioned it on several occasions over the course of the summer.. hinting with comments like "What you going to do with all that firewood? That's enough to last you 10 years." They are up in years, but not so much that they can't load a truck with firewood and take it home... They just want it all done for them is all.. It was the same way with tomatos and peppers last summer.. She called to ask me if we had any extra we didn't want.. and I told her yeah.. come on over and pick them since Larry was about to plow them under and I was done canning and freezing them.. and she just wanted to know if I had a few already picked.. Uh.. NO .. but you are welcome to come help yourself.. Some of the other neighbors came and got some and so at least they didn't get all plowed under.. People sure are odd..

You don't say anything, but etch it into your memory not to offer help to them again in any form.

It's really a shame some people are so lazy and ungrateful that they help to create their own existence of despair.

It's also a shame that people like your neighbors can cause such bitterness that the GOOD people stop offering help to others who would appreciate it.

Reminds me of the phrase, "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch" - but of course, we know that thankfully isn't true. Most normal, motivated people with a freakin' pulse and a lukewarm body temperature would have loved and appreciated your gesture of kindness.

I don't know as I don't know your neighbours, are they elderly, do they have health issues they can't do that kind of work. Or do they just plain hoped you all would do it for them, then if that was the cause, then its their problem and they will go without and too bad as that sure is a great offer, free firewood as its expensive to buy.

I have that problem meaning I won't let DH out much in this cold weather or in your case get wood because of the lung and heart problems he has--but I would be there is a flash. He just came off chemo treatments also, but then my neighbors know what is going on. He (DH) does get upset because he cannot do what he use to. But in your statements they seem to think you and others just will help them out without them doing anything and that to all is not fair.

Obviously it's not the cold weather stopping them since they wouldn't even come pick their own veggies in the summer. They sound lazy to me. It was nice of you to ask them but that would be the last time I asked them.

Been there and done that , too. I guess it would be nice to know if they have health issues and are unable to 'do the work'. I too "offer" for neighbors to come pick raspberries (even handicapped me can do that!) and/or strawberries (the pain is worth it!) and very seldom do any come to do so. I haven't figured it out, myself, it truly is a mystery. Maybe something about being 'obligated' and unable to 'give back' or something. And, yes, if I take them to their door, they are accepted...I think. I do have one gentleman who told me he couldn't eat fruit because he was diabetic..... news to this diabetic, but if that is his choice so be it.

They are about our age... and quite capable of coming and loading their truck up.. They saw some of our other neighbors that were getting some of the wood.. and just stared.. oh well.. Larry had a few choice words for them..

I'd tell them that as I had already done most of the work in hauling the wood in and cutting it up, I had already done enough in the "free firewood for _them_" equation. And that God helps those who help themselves. If they're not willing to put a little sweat equity in getting something for no cash outlay, their loss.

Let's see if I remember - Firewood warms you 3 times: When you cut it, when you stack it (or in this case IF you come over and pick it up and take it home and stack it ;-) and when you burn it.

Absolutely unbelievable!! Talk about a sense of entitlement..............

People are very nervy. You should have said the wood is free but the delivery charge is $45 a rick. LOL

I hope it burned their butts watching others loading it up. We used to give extra wood away, too, until we realized that some people were just expecting us to bust our butts for them. I finally put my foot down and forbade Woody from giving anymore away.

I figured that wood warms us at least 5 times before we even light it- once when we cut it into chunks, then again when we load it into the truck to bring back to the house, then again when we unload it. Then when we split it using the splitter (that's still hard work, all the lifting) and then stack it, and again when we haul loads of it up a flight of stairs into the house. Love our wood stove though, it toasts up the whole house.

Some people expect so much nowadays, even when the items are free, or cheap.

There's one particular person on Freecycle, and she asks for lots of stuff....enough stuff to fill her apartment. Clothes, furniture, tv, computer etc etc. Oh, and she doesn't drive, so she would like/need to have the items delivered.

It's one thing if someone offers an item (you CS) and say that you can deliver it. It's completely rude to ask for something and also ask for delivery.

I have a set of 6 ft HDMI cables for sale on Kijiji for $7.
A guy was interested, and asked if I'd deliver it to him. He lives across the city in an area I seldom go. $7 and I have to take it to him? No thanks, I'll hang on to them.

I told her that we couldn't deliver it, but they were welcome to a truckload or two. They have a pick up truck too.. and she just said... "Oh no... it is much too cold out for us to come get it. "

and

They are up in years, but not so much that they can't load a truck with firewood and take it home

It sounds like they assumed that it was loaded and ready to bring to them.
It sounds like they assumed that you meant that they had to come and get it now, as opposed to waiting until it gets warmer.

What do you say to folks like that?
I don't think that I would have been bothered by their assumptions and would have told them that others are coming to get some wood and they are welcome to come and get a load or two later when it is convenient, if there was still wood available.

This reminds me of my Dad, probably the cheapest SOB that ever lived. During a windstorm, a tree fell over in our backyard. Dad was over 70, so my sister's husband (Dad's son in law) offered to come over and cut it up if he could have it for firewood. Dad said "No". I asked why he didn't take him up on it? Dad said "Why should I give him free fire wood?"

Hi Jannie,

Would your Dad have known anything about "50 - 50" (or perhaps another proportion more acceptable to him)?

ole joyful ... sometimes accused of being full of hot air

I forgot to explain my Dad couldn't use the firewood himself-they never ever used their fireplace. I saw the situation as pure 100% Win for Dad- that old dead tree sat on the property for about 20 years. My brother finally hauled it away.

Maybe they thought you needed to get rid of it and they were doing you a favor by taking it off your hands? IDK.

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt, same as I'd want someone else to give me the benefit of the doubt.

We've all heard stories in which people yell at "fit" people for taking a handicapped parking space, only to find that those people have heart problems or strength or stamina problems or they're in the early stages of COPD or they're on their way home from chemo...

Diabetes & hypothyroidism & probably some other conditions that I don't know about are debilitating, & they are invisible, & people who suffer from them don't always tell the neighbors.

I suffered from chronic fatigue for years, couldn't even make it to the kitchen some days.
I gave up trying to explain myself at the time (I can talk about it now because I recovered & am no longer vulnerable);
people were just too ready or eager to believe that I was lazy or crazy or something.

It was the only time in my life in which I had to rely on other people to help me, & I am grateful for those who helped me without asking questions or making demands.

& I *looked* perfectly fine & healthy, & some days I did function better;
had you offered me the tomatoes or the firewood, there would have been some days I could have gotten it for myself & there would have been some days that I couldn't have;
had you plowed those tomatoes under because you were enraged at my "laziness", I would have had to go without tomatoes.

The fact that you're lucky enough to be in excellent health & to have a healthy & supportive partner doesn't mean that other people's characters can be judged by whether they meet your criteria.

If you don't need the firewood, if you're ready to plow the tomatoes under, & you know the neighbors need them, why not drop them off?

Even if someone has issues, they can still find someone to come help them can't they? Most likely they could if they wanted it. Or they could hire someone to haul it. After all, we are talking about something for FREE, right?

Not much to say to them, when I'm faced with someone looking a gift horse in the mouth, which I have numerous times, I just say to myself Chump don't want no help, chump don't get no help and move on.

Often I've heard things like "can I borrow _____" and when I say OK it's followed by "how quick can you bring it over?". When I was a photographer I can't tell you how many times I heard "why don't you come over... and bring your camera..." (care to venture a guess how many times film and processing were expected to be included?) or other times "come over this weekend and bring your chain saw and pickup" or "can you haul this for us? We don't want to pay $10 for delivery.".

There's a lot of selfish people out there but there's some good people too. It's really not fair to make the good ones suffer because of those who are selfish or look a gift horse in the mouth. I had a few large branches blow down during a storm a few years ago. A friend helped me clean up some of the brush but I still had the heavy part left. His schedule changed so he hasn't been able to help more since he lives 200 miles away. But another friend mentioned he was looking for wood and I said I had some if he wanted it. He cut it up, hauled it away and cleaned up very well out there. He too is financially strapped. But he appreciated what he got. Will probably come and take down some more this summer too. Benefits me and benefits him. That's how it's supposed to work. So laugh off the self-centered and don't hold it against the good ones.