Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: The rugged individual

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

Aukema <aukema [at] riverrock.org> is the author of the message below. 
It was posted by Fred the Cohousing-L list manager <fholson [at] cohousing.org> 
because the message included only HTML.  PLEASE do not post only HTML.
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   Bonnie,
   Here at River Rock Cohousing we have tried the shared approach to tools for 
gardening,
   cooking, videos, etc., but have found many people don't return items, or 
trash them
   completely.  Sounds like you don't have that problem.  How do you deal with 
people who
   trash the tools, or simply don't return them to the community? We have tried 
sending
   out e-mails and asking nicely, but have gotten no response.  We have tried 
humor,
   serious, and everything in between.  Any ideas?
   Mary Aukema
   River Rock Cohousing
   Fort Collins, Colorado
   aukema [at] riverrock.org
   At 01:40 PM 12/2/2004, you wrote:
   
         Not sure exactly how to answer all these
     questions, but I could address some of them.
         Here in Swan's Market Cohousing we certainly have
     a workshop with shared tools (many and big) although
     there is a current plan to add lockers to it so people
     could store their "too precious to leave in the common
     space" private stashes of tools as well.  Men are
     funny about their tools, in my humble opinion.  The
     women seem more relaxed about shared tool ownership
     (sewing and crafting tools mostly).
         As for all night places, the Common House
     functions that way potentially.  Certainly when I
     can't sleep I feel comfy wandering around it in my
     bathrobe, doing a 4am load of laundry or reading or
     whatever.  And I have met others there at 4am
     occasionally.
         We have a kids room but not many kids (we live in
     a downtown urban center).
         What also seems to happen is more sharing of
     private stuff on an individual basis--cars, parking
     spaces, DVD's and books and Videos, are passed around
     in a fairly frequent relaxed way.
          Hope this addresses some of your questions.
                        Bonnie Fergusson
                         Swan's Market Cohousing
                         Oakland, CA