My Gullible Neighbors

[Vaughn McMillan]

Are any of you familiar with Nextdoor.com? It's a "localized" social media site similar to Facebook, intended to connect people in the same neighborhood with each other. Common topics include "Were those fireworks or gunshots?", complaints about cars racing on the main streets, people looking for someone to help clean the yard/fix a gate/babysit the kids, etc. Lots of lost and found pets, too. And in our neighborhood, we have quite a few coyote or bobcat sightings, warning pet owners to keep little Muffin indoors lest he/she gets eaten. We also have a fair number of reports of suspicious people or activity, even in cases where there is none. The idea is valid, but in actual practice it really illustrates how humorless and/or gullible your neighbors can be. (It also shows who in the neighborhood is nosy or annoying, but those are different stories for another time, lol.)

This morning I decided to try an experiment. I posted the following notice in the Lost and Found section:

I was a bit surprised to see how many people didn't realize it was a joke. Many of these responses are priceless.

This may be the start of a new hobby, lol.

 

[Brent Dowell]

LOL, I have to admit, I love the 1 or 2 people that did get it.

Our Next door has been a total poop pageant lately with a very, very local political issue.

On the upside though, one of my neighbors volunteered me to be Santa at a local neighborhood party for the kids. And yes, I've already ordered my Santa outfit today, lol.

 

[Darren Wright]

I saw a similar one for a lost dog (coyote) earlier today.

 

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Tell them it died.... no wait, it's alive ....no, it's dead... wait.....


Alan

 

[Ted Calver]

I'd feel bad if our Nextdoor didn't have at least four or five "Were those fireworks or gunshots?" reports every night. I hate to waste ammo.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

I saw a similar one for a lost dog (coyote) earlier today.

We had one today too, although it was a "found dog". The hilarious arguments that followed (No, that's a Husky/fox/coyote, etc.) were what prompted me to yank some chains, lol.

Truth be told, I posted this under a different name so the neighbors who actually know me would be none the wiser. I got a PM from a gal I knew in high school (unaware it was really me) who was very concerned for my kids (lol) and offered to help me transport the opossum to a wildlife center. This girl has a good heart but was never real bright in high school. Some things never change, I guess. (Just like me, who was always a class clown.)

Tell them it died.... no wait, it's alive ....no, it's dead... wait.....

Ha! I might just have to try this. See above re: class clown.

 

[Chuck Ellis]

We have a local "nextdoor.com/ballplay" ... I didn't join... this is the closest I ever come to being social... BTW BallPlay is the name of a local community just down the road... it's just past "Bell Rattle". It's closed down now, but they actually had a school there and there's still a volunteer fire department...only other establishment there is a Quaker church.

 

[Toni Ciuraneta]

Sorry Vaughn but while I do understand the joke, I'm not sure that helps to build trust on those apps or groups. If jokes or pranks appear too often, and they are magnifyied by others that build up on them the whole point of those apps/groups is lost.
It may become the second edition of the tale of the shepperd and the wolf, when someone truly needs help and people do not take notice thinking it is another joke.

 

[Mike Stafford]

Are any of you familiar with Nextdoor.com? It's a "localized" social media site similar to Facebook, intended to connect people in the same neighborhood with each other. Common topics include "Were those fireworks or gunshots?", complaints about cars racing on the main streets, people looking for someone to help clean the yard/fix a gate/babysit the kids, etc. Lots of lost and found pets, too. And in our neighborhood, we have quite a few coyote or bobcat sightings, warning pet owners to keep little Muffin indoors lest he/she gets eaten. We also have a fair number of reports of suspicious people or activity, even in cases where there is none. The idea is valid, but in actual practice it really illustrates how humorless and/or gullible your neighbors can be. (It also shows who in the neighborhood is nosy or annoying, but those are different stories for another time, lol.)

This morning I decided to try an experiment. I posted the following notice in the Lost and Found section:

I was a bit surprised to see how many people didn't realize it was a joke. Many of these responses are priceless.

This may be the start of a new hobby, lol.

Around here Next Door is mostly lost cats and dogs or strange dogs. We do get reports of the gun fire and shoot outs in the Walmart parking lot or inside the store. Of course the gun fire and shoot outs are not isolated to Walmart in my little town.

Haven't seen this "cat" posting for a while but it is always amusing.

P.S. Around here most of the possums look like this....

 

[fred hargis]

I love it!

 

[Chuck Ellis]

P.S. Around here most of the possums look like this....

Similar in Texas with the Armadillos, except they are usually holding a long neck Bud or Lone Star.

 

[Jonathan Shively]

 

[Dave Hoskins]

That is hilarious!!!

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Sorry Vaughn but while I do understand the joke, I'm not sure that helps to build trust on those apps or groups. If jokes or pranks appear too often, and they are magnifyied by others that build up on them the whole point of those apps/groups is lost.
It may become the second edition of the tale of the shepperd and the wolf, when someone truly needs help and people do not take notice thinking it is another joke.

I understand your concern, Toni, but this particular group is sadly lacking much humor. They tend to overreact to the slightest thing, so an occasional bit of humor can be a good thing.

 

[Mike Stafford]

Similar in Texas with the Armadillos, except they are usually holding a long neck Bud or Lone Star. View attachment 113533

I always thought that armadillos were just possum on the half shell. The Bud or Lone Stars are just marinades.

 

[Toni Ciuraneta]

I understand your concern, Toni, but this particular group is sadly lacking much humor. They tend to overreact to the slightest thing, so an occasional bit of humor can be a good thing.

That clarifyies it, thanks Vaughn. We need more sense of humor everywhere nowadays, and more tolerance as well.

 

[Mike Stafford]

I don't know much about possums but I do know this; the more you run over them the flatter they get.

 

[Dave Hawksford]

Vaughn try this one. I'm sure you can come up with something amusing.

 

[Charles Lent]

Somebody signed me up for this in my area, and I followed it for a while, but quickly grew tired of the posts made by the neighborhood idiots and opted out of it. I guess maybe I should have done something like Vaughn with them. It would certainly have been more entertaining.

Charley

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Vaughn try this one. View attachment 113551 I'm sure you can come up with something amusing.

Dave, a Jackalope might get some attention over there on your side of the country, but they're so common over here in this part of the US nobody would raise an eyebrow. We see the little critters everywhere. They are a major pest here because they eat all your flowers and vegetable plants, and they like to sharpen their antlers by rubbing them on your car tires in the driveway. Everyone I know has gotten at least one flat tire from a danged Jackalope sharpening his antlers.