I met the upper middle class today.

[midnight armadillo]

I picked up some large heavy wood stuff from Freecycle today. The wife who helped me load the stuff I swear is Kate Gosselin's lost twin, appearance-wise. She looks me over and asks me if I was a contractor. No I say, we're just renovating our 1st house and this will be super-useful for the work I'm doing. I understood better when her husband arrived from his high tech job (an "elite consulting firm" according to their website), in pressed shorts, cell phone holster, very pricey looking collared short sleeve shirt, nice shoes. LOL. My ancient sneakers, cheap Wrangler jeans, and beat-up looking Honda Odyssey must have put me in a particular mental category in her mind, despite my wearing what I consider to be one of my nicer work shirts. The minivan's first owner had a strange habit of driving into things, beating the crap out of the exterior - it was a great deal!

I'm not complaining, they were both very nice and were giving me free stuff, I was just amused by the interaction.

[LynzM]

1. Oh boy...

Yeah, "middle class" sure encompasses a whole range of people, doesn't it? Fwiw, I'd consider us closer to you than the people you met today. :) Cheers!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. Aw, you can't judge people by their clothes -

I seriously doubt that those outfits - and her haircut - made them candidates of "upper middle class."

Check out their credit card balances.......................

[midnight armadillo]

4. Did I not mention the McMansion?

BIG, brand new one. Not my taste.

Or the luxury cars?

Anyway, what with the town (one of the richer ones in MA) and all, UMC it is.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Again,

not to be trite, but judging a book by its cover never works. A McMansion suggests their house value is currently under water, and the cars just may be leased.

You never know, really, you never do....................

[Truthiness Inspector]

7. So what is your problem?

You said you picked up freecycle stuff from their house. Right? That means they care and are not just trashing usable goods. They have no obligation to offer you a damn thing.

I think your post is disrespectful of conscientious individuals who have more than you do, and who are paying it forward. Their house is "not your taste"? Well guess what, your taste is hardly relevant, and pardon me, but as a beggar, don't be a chooser.

Be grateful, if you can, even for a minute.

[noamnety]

10. His post was fine:

"I'm not complaining, they were both very nice and were giving me free stuff, I was just amused by the interaction."

Doesn't sound to me like he has a problem.

[demmiblue]

11. He was... he was just simply noticing the difference between himself and others.

I don't think it was a value statement.

[midnight armadillo]

12. To quote my own post

"I'm not complaining, they were both very nice and were giving me free stuff, I was just amused by the interaction."

Amusement is hardly the same as "disrespect" or "ungrateful". Lighten up and you'll get to go off your blood pressure meds.

[Truthiness Inspector]

14. I know an ingrate when I see one

Your post #4 says it all.

[noamnety]

15. I don't understand your name-calling/personal attack.

Someone who wasn't even there challenged his assertion that they were upper middle class, so he responded by providing some further explanation - they live in an upper middle class neighborhood in a home that people on welfare or minimum wage wouldn't have qualified for.

There's no reason for you to be hostile about that.

[mitchum]

3. They buy stuff instead of fucking

[noamnety]

5. I don't know if you saw my thread a couple weeks ago

where the people came to fix our furnace. We have a kind of largish house but I guess I don't look like Kate Gosselin's lost twin - they wouldn't let me sign off on their work, and it came out that it was because they thought I was the maid. Didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or take it as a compliment.

[Inchworm]

8. If it is any consolation, I look more like Grizzly Adams

And my human interaction today was being asked if I was nekkid and if I knew Jesus.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8918338&mesg_id=8918338

Not complaining either. I found it quite funny, so naturally I spruced it up a bit for The Lounge :D

:hi:

[demmiblue]

9. Good for them...

and for all those who recycle their goods. Several years ago, the very same people may have simply trashed those items.

I usually put my larger items curbside because I don't have a car that fits them (or if it is a hassle). Then I bring them back in if they are not taken. I take them in more often than not because they are probably third or fourth hand items!

[midnight armadillo]

13. Freecycle deserves more publicity

I rarely meet someone who's heard of it, much less used it, and we've gotten plenty of useful things from it. Our upcoming move will certainly have us using it to offload things we won't need anymore.