Not for sale

Doyle once left his truck in front of my house. I don't recall why, but I do recall it was there for a few weeks.

During that truck stay, I began accumulating notes that had been left on the truck. They all pretty much said the same thing:

Hey, if you want to sell your truck, give me a call!

I handed the first couple to Doyle, who told me that, yeah, he received a lot of these notes, too. He received more when he left the truck sitting in one place for too long. Our truck has been sitting in front of our house for a while now, so, yeah, I can see how someone walking along could think that it's not being used. Having that truck is pretty great when you need it. Fortunately, having it when you don't need it isn't too bothersome.

Andy has a truck, too, and once casually proposed sharing ownership of our truck, too. Given that we're not exactly neighbors with Mike and Kate, I thought it was a grand idea, as he'd be more likely than the two of our families to use it regularly.

I think he was kidding, though.

When Doyle received the notes, he just crumpled them up and threw them away. They were a nuisance and not much else to him (more so, when you realize it's not littering for someone to put a note or ad or flyer on your vehicle, but it IS littering if you pull it off and just toss it over your shoulder in disgust - they can place it there without your permission, and YOU have to clean up the mess. I despise this type of advertising, in case you didn't know).

To me, they're a puzzle. I mean, sure, everyone wants to get a good deal on a vehicle. Going directly to the owner means you'll get a better deal than going through a middleman or used car dealership. And I can see why a third vehicle, one left parked in the same place, could be construed as not wanted.

But to leave a note?

Of course, I'm not above leaving a note myself. It's how Mike and Kate became my neighbors. I've mailed letters to the current owners of houses I like, ones in my past, perhaps in my future. My mom left a note on the doorstep of the house that she and my dad later bought, that my dad still lives in.

I've never left a note with a car, though. That's the thing I find fascinating. At what level does someone decide that a preemptive strike is better than waiting until the "for sale" sign goes up?

Not sure.

I am sure, however, that our truck isn't for sale.