Just a thought; Did you see the massive line of vehicles waiting in line for food.

[shockey80]

Thousands of nice cars and trucks, yet they had no money for food. Think about that.

[Ms. Toad]

1. Context?

[shockey80]

2. We created a society based on debt.

[Ms. Toad]

17. What triggered the original thought.

I'm sitting in my house, not seeing any massive lines anywhere.

I get the point you are trying to make - but you seemed to be referring to something specific.

[MissB]

24. There was a thread yesterday that showed a

Time lapse video of endless cars queuing up to get some food.it was shockingly long.

[Ms. Toad]

30. I didn't see it. I literally had no idea what the OP was referring to.

It would have been nice for the OP to include that in the post, or - at a minimum - to provide the context when requested.

Not all of us are glued to news sources 24/7.

[MissB]

32. I know.

And I was too lazy to scrounge it up for you. But it looks like someone linked it wayyy down thread

[Ms. Toad]

33. A couple of people now have.

But by now I'm too annoyed to feel like playing. Clear communication is just not that hard.

[uppityperson]

4. Foodbanks

[brush]

5. The new bread lines, and millions living paycheck to paycheck.

[Ms. Toad]

18. I get the general point -

But this seems to be just one more no context thought randomly dropped in DU as if we are all watching the exact same thing the OP is watching, at the exact same time.

That was the reason for the request for context.

[brush]

20. Yep, food for thought, inviting comments.

[Ms. Toad]

21. Not the way it was phrased.

Just a thought; (1) Did you see (2) the massive line of vehicles waiting in line for food.

(1) I see something, I'm asking you if you see it too.
(2) "the" is a specific article - i.e. it is referring to a specific massive line of vehicles (that the OP is looking at, or was looking at)

Without context, it is not food for thought, it is a frustrating exercise in mind reading.

[brush]

23. English teacher? Editor?

[Ms. Toad]

26. Tired of no-context OPs

I opened the thread to see what the reference to the lines was about - and there was no explanation.

I asked for context & wasn't given any by any of the three people who responded. (I was given three explanations for why generic people waiting in lines for food driving fancy cars might be a problem - but no context as to the OP.)

[totodeinhere]

46. I think the point is that people should not be living beyond their means.

If after only a couple of weeks of unemployment they are already out of food then something is wrong. Perhaps instead of buying a new car and taking on a big car payment they should have kept their old car longer or they could have bought a cheaper used car. Then maybe they would have money to buy food.

[enid602]

59. nice cars

You get hungry after a day or so with no income. t takes a while for the cars to be repossessed.

[demmiblue]

25. Here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213261792

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Thousands-hit-hard-by-coronavirus-pandemic-s-15189948.php#photo-19278209

[Ms. Toad]

27. Thank you!

(But, as an aside, It really shouldn't take 3 non-responses before someone provdes the context that triggered the OP.)

[Totally Tunsie]

3. Ya' know, yesterday I was about to post the same thing,

but then I thought of all the people for whom life was pretty good a few weeks ago before the bottom fell out.

Some families went from two paychecks to zero, and still have to make the next payment on that nice car AND put groceries on the table and pay the electric bill, etc. They might have afforded all that and more in February, but now they're waiting...waiting for food and waiting for that stimulus check.

[shockey80]

10. Many Americans have a new car, cellphone, etc. Miss one pay check and they can't buy food.

The debt society started with Reagan. Put it on the credit card. They kept our pay low, wrecked our unions, wrecked the safety net, then people did what they had to do, put it on the credit card in order to maintain their life style. I am done trying to figure out why the American people have not been able to figure out who has wrecked their lives. I have been trying for forty years. I am too old and too pissed off to give a fuck now.

[Totally Tunsie]

14. I'm not sure where you're placing the "blame".

Is it with the "they" who "kept our pay low, wrecked our unions, wrecked the safety net" or is it with the people who "did what they had to do"?

[SoCalNative]

6. I have a nice car

And though I don’t have to wait in food lines yet, who knows what the future might hold. BTW, I have busted my hump to pay off my 5 year note in just over 2 years and it will be all paid off after next week.

[MissB]

28. Congrats!

Well done!

[Lars39]

7. I bet they have refrigerators and microwaves, too!

Last edited Sat Apr 11, 2020, 03:16 PM - Edit history (1)

They can't be poor.

Edited to add: I know what you mean. Everyone is living check to check and in debt.

I was trapped once in the dentist chair once and heard that. Argh

[Squinch]

15. I don't think shockeye was judging. I took it to be an observation on how quickly

this disaster has changed people's lives for the worse.

PS - did you cut your hair? How did it come out??

[Lars39]

16. Oops, didn't mean for it to read that way!

I haven't gotten a chance to do my hair yet. Immersed in masks and cooking for a bit.

[BruceWane]

8. Just a thought

Why do you assume they're all "nice" cars and trucks?

Did you personally check age, mileage, and overall condition of all the cars in line for a food bank?

Or do you just have the attitude that if somebody posseses anything beyond a burlap sack for clothing and a tent for shelter they shouldn't be in need of help?

[shockey80]

11. I watched the video.

[Totally Tunsie]

9. You said it yourself yesterday:

"This virus is very good at stopping our paychecks, it sucks at stopping our bills"

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213268427

[uppityperson]

12. Here's a link with pictures for those who don't understand

https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Thousands-hit-hard-by-coronavirus-pandemic-s-15189948.php

[MerryBlooms]

19. TY. Incredible.

[Ms. Toad]

29. It would have been helpful for the OP to include that in the original post -

for those who had not seen the article.

(Or in the response when I asked the OP for context.)

[uppityperson]

37. CALL CONGRESS RIGHT FUCKING NOW

Yup

[Ms. Toad]

38. Not a matter for congress -

Just a matter of a little consideration for other members of DU.

I wouldn't even have been particularly cranky about it, except that the first three responses for my request for context continued the same no-context dialog, so I still didn't know what the OP was referring to.

A significant portion of the threads on the front page of GD are no-context posts. It is tiring, and more so when the OP does not respond with an explanation of what they are referring to.

[uppityperson]

39. That was an old joke, mocking ops without context.

Last edited Sat Apr 11, 2020, 08:03 PM - Edit history (1)

I agree, they are a pain, esp when the op doesn't clarify.

[Ms. Toad]

41. I had absolutely no idea what the OP was talking about

I had not seen any of the pictures or time lapses (that someone else mentioned)

The problem is the no-context OP, not other members of DU asking for clarification - but that was not the response I got in this thread. If I wanted to play guessing games, I would have headed to the lounge.

[Walleye]

13. History rhymes again. No cars in the 1930's breadlines

[Drahthaardogs]

22. So sad. I am lucky.

I grew up rural and lived remote. I have always just had a few months food supply on hand. I have just always lived this way.

[Ron Green]

31. Gasoline is cheap and widely available; good food, not so much.

We’ve had an upside-down economy for quite a while now.

[SheltieLover]

34. Quite a contrast

A visual of how quickly innefective containment has changed so many Americans' lives. Maybe that's what Shockey was pointing up?

People who one day had jobs & perhaps commitments to pay for cars and other bills and the needed to feed families brought to their knees by this pandemic and R admin's refusal to deal effectively with containment or adequate support for working families. 🤬

That is what I see.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

35. Ms Toad is right.

The OP is contextless, and we don't all watch or read the same things.

I find that contextless posts here are a huge problem.

[questionseverything]

36. two monthes ago the people in those cars were probably planning their spring breaks

they were donating to food pantries now they are wondering how that lil box of food will last til they are allowed to make another trip

hard times

[Initech]

40. I was supposed to go to Maui this week.

Now I'm probably going to lose out on that plane fare, which was not exactly cheap. Fuck this virus.

[questionseverything]

42. my grandson missed abaseball trip he was looking forward to

now we are worried how we will keep em fed

[Initech]

44. I'm missing out on two trips, possibly $5K in lost plane fare.

And I've also lost quite a bit of money in concert tickets for various events that I had planned. My parents are probably going to lose their baseball season tickets this year. Fuck.

And to think I was looking at buying a new car before the pandemic happened, not pursuing that for now.

[questionseverything]

45. yes i miss the days when various plagues around the world were back ground noise

cause Obama had the shit covered ya know?

[Initech]

48. Hey if I have to wear a hazmat suit to vote for Biden, then I shall!

[questionseverything]

49. i will vote by mail so i can spend the day calling and getting others to the polls

I am afraid this is our last chance...we must make it count

[totodeinhere]

43. I have seen that. And of course it's too bad that they don't have food.

But I'm just wondering. How can they afford a new car but can't afford to buy food? Some people apparently don't have their priorities straight. Myself, I drive a twelve year old car but I am able to buy my own food.

[NutmegYankee]

47. Perhaps they had jobs a few weeks ago?

[totodeinhere]

50. But if they had jobs a few weeks ago and they are already so broke that they can't even buy food

then they were not budgeting very well. You shouldn't be buying an expensive new car if being unemployed for a couple of weeks makes you go hungry. If you have that little in the bank you should not be buying a new car. I would like to have a new car just like anyone else would but since I can't afford it I don't have one. My older car has to make due.

[questionseverything]

51. a car 6 or 7 years old can still be bright and shiny

try not to judge others...you don't know how far they have to drive to get to work.....if your car is 12 years old you must be handy or have someone that does repairs for you,some peops don't have that

[NutmegYankee]

54. It's the south - cars stay looking like new for years.

And people buy them making sustainable car payments. It's rather odd that you were telling people they shouldn't grow gardens for food in one thread and now you're poor shaming people for needing food. Seems like a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't scenario...

[totodeinhere]

55. I didn't tell people they should not grow gardens. I was merely defending Governor Whitmer

for closing down some big home improvement stores like Lowes even if that means that people can't get garden supplies for the time being. If you already have seeds or if you can get them safely then by all means grow a garden if you want to.

[NutmegYankee]

56. It was a dumb decision.

Invoke one way aisles, and 6 foot spacing, or like many nurseries here in Connecticut go to curbside pickup. But closing them down...stupid.

I'll note that other states classify garden centers/nurseries as essential. My local Agway was very clear that they had been deemed essential. The local nursery I get soil at was also clear they were essential, but closed to customers and only does curbside pickup for the safety of their employees. They have iPads and will walk the floor to show you everything live if you are looking for a certain plant.

[totodeinhere]

57. if it saves only one life then it's not a dumb thing.

n/t

[NutmegYankee]

58. Be careful where you go with that.

Imagine how many lives were saved if we gave no one any choice on food, housed them all in cells, etc.

[thegoose]

52. Right?

It's brutal. It shows how fast the safety net can be ripped out from under you. I still have a few weeks of paychecks left, but after that, I don't know. I have a modest 401K inherited from my mother, but the market is killing it.

I don't want to hear this ancient piece of shit blathering away with his bullshit.

[uponit7771]

53. Most likely the U3 or U6 rate is already 12 - 13%