We never hear the end of the odd ads on Craiglist in the states but then lets not forget that we have our very own hive of strange internet asks and offers that is Gumtree.
So shall we start with comparing the history? Craigslist began in 1995 as an email distribution list of friends that featured local event in San Francisco. In 1996 it began to include other categories and in 2000 it began to include other states. It now covers 50 countries.
Gumtree started out life in 2000 as a local London classified ads and community site. It’s no where near as big as Craigslist but it does cover 6 countries and 60 cities. Today Gumtree is owned by eBay’s internal classifieds group.
So what can we find on them? Well Gumtree sadly has taken down it’s ‘Dating and casual relationships’ section so there’s not a load we can dig out there. But it still has flat shares and generally strange people (at times) looking for strange things.
For example
‘Hi. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a trip to the allegedly haunted Weir Inn Estate in Gloucestershire. I am a 24 year old male student and I will be taking my van. Was hoping for two guys and two girls around the same age. Maybe sometime in June? Hope to hear from you soon, Mal.’
If you want to go on a little haunted house trip that sounds very much like the start of a low budget horror then you can contact Mal here.
Craigslist’s example of someone looking for a hand and some company is :
Looking for a( woman) for a massage
Definitely not worth contacting that one if you are a man.
If you are looking for room mates then you could take either site as preferential depending on how broke you are, wether you’re a feminist or if you value a clan roommate.
If you are single, sad alone, desperate and poor then you could try this guys out :
‘I am looking to provide a young adorable female free rent 4 adorable young livin gf marriage possible’ here.
Or if you waned some fun but to be clearly totally taken the piss out of (providing you are female) you could go with this one :
’5 college guys living in a 6 man house, willing to let a woman stay for free in the extra room as long as you do clean up occasionally (mainly dishes). Pretty good deal I think!’
Your probably likely to get gang banged too.
If you can cook you can try this one out :
‘I am a 39 year old male looking for a female roommate to share my studio apartment. Must be able to cook and clean etc… Serious inquiries only. (PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND IF YOU ARE INQUIRING FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. DON’T WASTE MY TIME OR YOURS}.’
But if you are in the UK then you could always share with Leigh, he is :
‘very clan and tidy’ and is happy to ‘buddy up’ based in the north London area.
Or if you are lonely and can speak English this is an option for you on Gumtree :
‘Hiya,
I am a 29 italian guy, just looking for someone who is available for meeting up and helping me to improve my rusty and disastrous English.We can meet up in any pub or cafe, otherwise, you can come over to my place and taste special italian food (including lasagna, spaghetti with sea food, carbonara pasta and a range of other dishes 
Hope to hear from you soon.
See you
Alessandro’
If all this really is too out there for you then you better take this lady up on her offer of a spare room so long as you adhere to her strict house rules :
‘Sober living at its best! We provide a strict but loving supportive environment for you or your loved one to practice the tools that one has learned in treatment to stay clean and sober for life. This is a faith based sober living for woman that also uses the traditional 12 Step program structure.’
Nah, you’re alright.
