7 ms·

This is very sad. The last thing someone wants is a tired, exhausted driver driving them around.

candiodari 8y ago
See this is the problem. People just don't see giving other people a chance at a livable life as a factor in any decision. Yes, it's probably less than ideal that tired drivers do this. But, mostly, it's a very good thing that this person was able to survive and prevent another homeless family. Let me guess, "the government should just provide for them ?" (without, of course, raising your taxes).
- dahauns 8y ago
  As someone coming from a country whose government sucessfully provides several means to prevent these kinds of scenarios, the idea of seeing this as a fundamentally good thing frankly strikes me as absurd.
  - lovich 8y ago
    Aye, it's not like our total tax rates are too far off from Western European economies as well. We just spend billions/trillions on other things
  - candiodari 8y ago
    As someone who's now lived in 5 countries let me just say : your post is absurd. All of those countries have governments that "successfully provide several means to prevent ..." and ... in none of them was it a problem to find people sleeping on the street. I never once actually tried to find them, incidentally. Just take some trains in any large city. Which is that country that supposedly prevents these situations ? I'm sure finding a picture won't be a problem. But I know, it makes you feel real good about your own worst-case future to think that doesn't happen. Now go out and talk to some older people that have had a bad run, and I guarantee, even in the Netherlands, you'll feel a whole lot worse about it. None of the other countries come even close to what the Netherlands supposedly does (If you don't mind living in a building where you get attacked daily for being old that is. Or the social worker doesn't like you. Or ... And let's just not discuss the waiting lines to get to talk to someone if something goes wrong) I just don't know where people get the idea that the government has their back. Incomprehensible. I mean, sure they have rules and regulations that may help in specific situations (especially for rich guys to pay less tax I mean), but help people who are powerless ? Good luck with that.
    - dahauns 8y ago
      Sheesh, do I really have to spell this out? No, I never talked about "preventing each and every single case of homelessness." Yeah, there's people on the street here in Vienna as well. There's enough harsh situations, of course. But rest assured (and this not some "feel good feeling", but first hand knowledge of social workers in the field), there's not a single case of "a family that wouldn't have been homeless if the earner just had the opportunity of a second "gig economy" job". And the systems in place here do work rather well (as long as you stay realistic - and I do know quite some harsh cases). People that really manage to fall through all the cracks have almost all the status of being unemployable/unfit for work (and I don't mean "sorry, but you're too old"-unemployable, but usually because of severe mental health issues and/or substance abuse). I have to admit though: Looking at what our current government does at the moment, chances are I'll chime in with you in a few years...

See this is the problem. People just don't see giving other people a chance at a livable life as a factor in any decision. Yes, it's probably less than ideal that tired drivers do this. But, mostly, it's a very good thing that this person was able to survive and prevent another homeless family. Let me guess, "the government should just provide for them ?" (without, of course, raising your taxes).

dahauns 8y ago
As someone coming from a country whose government sucessfully provides several means to prevent these kinds of scenarios, the idea of seeing this as a fundamentally good thing frankly strikes me as absurd.
- lovich 8y ago
  Aye, it's not like our total tax rates are too far off from Western European economies as well. We just spend billions/trillions on other things
- candiodari 8y ago
  As someone who's now lived in 5 countries let me just say : your post is absurd. All of those countries have governments that "successfully provide several means to prevent ..." and ... in none of them was it a problem to find people sleeping on the street. I never once actually tried to find them, incidentally. Just take some trains in any large city. Which is that country that supposedly prevents these situations ? I'm sure finding a picture won't be a problem. But I know, it makes you feel real good about your own worst-case future to think that doesn't happen. Now go out and talk to some older people that have had a bad run, and I guarantee, even in the Netherlands, you'll feel a whole lot worse about it. None of the other countries come even close to what the Netherlands supposedly does (If you don't mind living in a building where you get attacked daily for being old that is. Or the social worker doesn't like you. Or ... And let's just not discuss the waiting lines to get to talk to someone if something goes wrong) I just don't know where people get the idea that the government has their back. Incomprehensible. I mean, sure they have rules and regulations that may help in specific situations (especially for rich guys to pay less tax I mean), but help people who are powerless ? Good luck with that.
  - dahauns 8y ago
    Sheesh, do I really have to spell this out? No, I never talked about "preventing each and every single case of homelessness." Yeah, there's people on the street here in Vienna as well. There's enough harsh situations, of course. But rest assured (and this not some "feel good feeling", but first hand knowledge of social workers in the field), there's not a single case of "a family that wouldn't have been homeless if the earner just had the opportunity of a second "gig economy" job". And the systems in place here do work rather well (as long as you stay realistic - and I do know quite some harsh cases). People that really manage to fall through all the cracks have almost all the status of being unemployable/unfit for work (and I don't mean "sorry, but you're too old"-unemployable, but usually because of severe mental health issues and/or substance abuse). I have to admit though: Looking at what our current government does at the moment, chances are I'll chime in with you in a few years...