If the seller doesn't agree to meet at the stationhouse, isn't that a person the police should be investigating?
I certainly hope not!
Before seeing this article, I personally would have assumed meeting at the station house would put ourselves in the way of police officers with other important things to do, perhaps even things like saving lives, for what basically boils down to a simple craigslist purchase.
If someone else would have suggested it I would certainly be offering up other safe options to go with first, only choosing this one if literally no other options were available to not meet alone, and even then I would still feel bad for being in the way.
Now sure if I was to shoot down ALL suggestions for safe meetings, then that would and probably should be seen as shady as hell. But offering tried and true alternatives first is not something I feel should earn deeper investigation by the police or any other government agency.
"Do you have a friend or three that can come along? How about we meet at the Cinibun in blahblah mall? Or anywhere else closer to you that's in public and has a lot of people and cameras around? The police probably have lives to save and stuff, would you at least three-way call them first and ask if it's OK?"
Personally I see offering multiple ways to help reassure the other party, while also having my only one request for similar reassurance being denied, as the questionable act. Still not "investigated by the police or feds" level of questionable of course, but enough to raise my "I don't want to deal with an overly demanding buyer" counter, especially if there are other buyers in line.