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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • I really hate these CBC articles where they talk about a huge, legitimate issue, but undercut it by choosing a crazy/unrelated example:

    Charmbury, 47, has to make sacrifices because 100 per cent of her income goes to her rent.

    She had to sell her house after her divorce and now pays $2,679 per month for a three-bedroom townhouse in the same neighbourhood. She didn’t want her children, a teen boy and teen girl, to have to switch schools or share a bedroom.

    So, she’s been cashing in her investments. Child support helps with the bills, her mother helps her with groceries and her friends give her their old clothes. She says she barely sleeps from the stress.

    Even 30 years ago, I had friends who had to change schools/share a room when their parents divorced. Putting someone who refuses to make tough decisions and try live within her means in the same category as adults who have to live with multiple roommates, face homelessness, etc. is insulting.

    Also, I’m pretty sure most would say child support is income, even if it’s not taxable income. She’s spending 100% of her employment income/paycheques on rent.



  • Delivery drivers and emergency services have to park in no-parking zones to do their job.

    Why are you lumping emergency services delivery drivers when that wasn’t park of the discussion? Emergency services are legally allowed to park anywhere, because they’re usually there for an emergency. However, sometimes emergency vehicles abuse this power when it’s not a emergency, or just don’t consider anyone else when they could easy park in the space 10’ away. In those cases, they’re not breaking the law, they’re just being an asshole.

    For delivery drivers, I think there’s some nuance as you’re right, on some streets the only option besides parking illegally is lugging the cargo 5+ blocks. In those cases, we should write this exception into law instead of just letting some people break the law as they see fit. However, I would estimate, in most cases, delivery drivers do have a good alternative like a loading zone or an alley, they just don’t want to adjust.

    Also, on the bike lane, they’ll bother fewer people than on the car lane. At least in the street I live on, fifty cars will pass before one bike does - as unfortunate as that fact is.

    This might have something to do with people feeling unsafe biking when there are vehicles parked in the bike lane all the time!

    Delivery drivers also frequently block driveways and prevent cars from going in or out. It’s not like they have a vendetta against bikes.

    Personally, I don’t think it’s okay in that case either. However, in those cases, it costs drivers time waiting. With people on bikes, it costs them safety.







  • Russia and the US have committed war crimes in their invasions of Ukraine and Iraq respectively, but the general consensus is that their militaries are still not terrorist organizations.

    War Crimes != Terrorism. Some acts qualify as both, but words have meanings, and I think it’s important we recognize that. I don’t think the actions of the US in Iran would make a reasonable person say the US Military is a terrorist organization, though they are definitely harbouring some war criminals.

    I think the other thing is asking, what’s the value in labelling an organization? Telling your friend with a substance problem that they’re an addict/alcoholic might just drive them away and towards worse influences. Or telling off your toxic coworker might be cathartic, but it’ll probably just make the situation worse.

    PS I’m pretty sure labelling the IDF as “similarly abhorrent” isn’t very helpful.




  • The point that you kind of touch on in your comment, is that SUV’s generally aren’t better than a hatchback/wagon. In my experience, most SUV’s aren’t efficiently using their space, so they feel more luxurious to ride in, but have horrible cargo storage. @notjustbikes@notjustbikes.com talked on his podcast about being picked up (with his wife) from the airport in a huge SUV (I think it was an Escalade) and being unable to get their luggage in the trunk.