L31 PAGE 2
Mike hopes "cutest toll booth worker I've ever seen" does reach out to her forlorn Craigslist admirer. If they find true love on the Ohio Turnpike, convenient dining options are always nearby. This service plaza near Amherst, for instance.
(The Plain Dealer)
Hey, everyone! Happy "Day-Before-Walgreens-Steeply-Discounts-Their-Remaining-Stock-Of-Valentine-Candy!"
This is a rough time of year for the lonely hearts. It's hard seeing all of those Facebook updates from coupled-up friends being wined and dined at some of our area's finest Darden Chain restaurants.
But for those still seeking a special someone this Valentine's Day, I offer a message of hope. That special someone might already be looking for you, using the modern miracle known as "Craigslist Missed Connections".
Most of you are probably familiar with craigslist.org. It's a popular classified ad website. To the best of my knowledge it is the only one-stop-cyber-shop where you can simultaneously pursue a renter for your semi-finished basem*nt, accept employment as a dog walker and trade your used trampoline for a truckload of pre-split firewood. And all within the confines of one convenient URL!
Craigslist also has a personal ads section that can best be described as "aggressive." It appears to serve a demographic that considers Tinder app users to be too puritanical. It's nasty.
But there is an entirely separate section within those personal ads called "Missed Connections" that I check frequently because it gives me so much joy.
It's utilized by people who believe that they have just experienced a star-crossed moment with a stranger while wandering through their everyday life, but for whatever reason failed to reach out to that potential soulmate.
Perhaps they were on their way to work and couldn't spare the time to pursue true love. Maybe they were too shy to approach, or so hopelessly enamored that they found themselves frozen in space.
They attempt to right this wrong by taking to craigslist, where they post about the experience, hoping that the person who so entranced them might stumble upon it.
But realistically, what are the odds? This truly is the Hail Mary of courtship tactics. It works only if a number of factors line up perfectly.
First, the object of the poster's affection must have felt a comparable romantic spark. Sadly, even if "Travis from Maple Heights" felt a connection with "Stacked Babe in Denim Skirt Pumping Gas At Lee Road Speedway" she might not have been enraptured by "Creepy Staring Guy at Gas Pump."
Assuming that the feeling was mutual, that person must also must know about "Craigslist Missed Connections," and care enough to look, often enough to see the post.
But it is the very impracticality of the venture that makes it so inspiring. The gesture is profoundly romantic in its desperation. It's essentially putting a love letter in a bottle and heaving it into the boundless ocean of cyberspace, hoping fate will guide it to its intended, on a faraway shore.
In the spirit of the holiday, then, I have decided to help a few of these hopeless romantics by spotlighting three recent Missed Connections. Based on current newspaper readership trends this should nearly double their chances of success.
The following are genuine subject line posts:
Feb 4- Marcs today. Apple in back pocket. No coat. Sleeveless Cold? - m4w 47 (Westlake)
I'm rooting for this guy. He's so enamored, he's willing to look past the fact that the object of his affection apparently shoplifts produce. And even though they haven't met yet, he is already nagging her. Good luck, kids!
Feb 4- Ultrasound Tech at Cleve Clinic - m4w (Cleveland)
According to his post this gentleman is looking for the technician who recently performed an ultrasound on him. This means that even if she didn't feel the same spark at least she already knows that his heart is in the right place.
Feb 1- Cutest toll booth worker I've ever seen - m4w (I-80/Rt 57)
Admittedly, not the strongest compliment ever. There may be a reason why Maxim has yet to publish an edition on "Sexiest Toll Booth Workers." That said, I like this couple's odds. The only thing I could see getting in their way is EasyPass.
Do any of these posts refer to you or someone you know? If so, go to cleveland.craigslist.org and respond to your determined suitor. The love of your life could be waiting for you. If not, there's a Nordic Track Treadmill for just $350 OBO. The guy who's selling it say says it's like new.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
