Land of the "Free?"

ClaireBear

ClaireBear

Banned
I was watching a really crappy docu-soap spin off last night from our "Life of Grime" series... (which followed those in hygene, health and cleansing jobs through their working day... pest exterminators, health inspectors, binmen... etc etc)... that was set in NewYork...

Not only was I appalled at the number of rats.. but thats by the by... but I was also shocked that the "cleansing dept" dress up in cop uniforms and hand out fines to individuals and companies littering the "sidewalks"... 16 a day minimum at $100 a pop just for having a few bags of rubbish outside your stoop!!

This got me thinking... I was aware that you guys not being a welfare state you lack free healthcare for all...

But I had no idea about everything else!!!!

So tell me... what else do you guys not get for free? And by free I mean for a fraction of the actual cost by paying NI or Tax.. or not at all if you're in need!
 
Can't speak with any authority ,but I think NY is a different beast than the rest of the country with respect to the garbage fines and local taxation.
 
Yeah... but maybe if I phrase it differently...

In Blighty we have Council binmen (refuse collectors) who come once a week and take our rubbish away from our homes with no extra charge... no need to tip... its their job!!!!

A different set of collectors also come around fortnightly for glass and paper recycling collection and one for garden refuse.

Rubbish left in public areas, including grafitti is cleaned up by council cleaners... no extra charge...

I'm trying to work out if there are services that we get "free" that you guys have to fork out to private companies for!

Yes... I'm very very bored! :D
 
ClaireBear said:
Yeah... but maybe if I phrase it differently...

In Blighty we have Council binmen (refuse collectors) who come once a week and take our rubbish away from our homes with no extra charge... no need to tip... its their job!!!!

A different set of collectors also come around fortnightly for glass and paper recycling collection and one for garden refuse.

Rubbish left in public areas, including grafitti is cleaned up by council cleaners... no extra charge...

I'm trying to work out if there are services that we get "free" that you guys have to fork out to private companies for!

Yes... I'm very very bored! :D
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As for garbage collection here, if you live in the city of Murfreesboro it's free (well, included in your property taxes, nothing is really "free") but if you live in the county (as I do) you're responsible for your own. I pay BFI $22.50 per month to not have to go to the dump myself every week. I do have to haul the can (it has wheels) about 250 meters to the road each Wednesday though.
 
chcr said:
As for garbage collection here, if you live in the city of Murfreesboro it's free (well, included in your property taxes, nothing is really "free") but if you live in the county (as I do) you're responsible for your own. I pay BFI $22.50 per month to not have to go to the dump myself every week. I do have to haul the can (it has wheels) about 250 meters to the road each Wednesday though.
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Man! What about recycling... is that "up to the individual" too?
 
ClaireBear said:
Man! What about recycling... is that "up to the individual" too?
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Yep. You do understand that recycling is not cost effective in the least and in fact does very little to assuage the problem it is intended to address? Makes people feel better about it, I suppose. I suppose the British government subsidizes it, but that's really just shifting the cost.
 
chcr said:
Yep. You do understand that recycling is not cost effective in the least and in fact does very little to assuage the problem it is intended to address? Makes people feel better about it, I suppose. I suppose the British government subsidizes it, but that's really just shifting the cost.
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Probably... but if some guy gets paid to pick up a box full of my family's wine bottles, cans and papers... I ain't gonna stop him from bringing a wage home to his family! :shrug:
 
I'm not sure what you saw, Claire, but I'm willing to bet that those folks were fined either for outright illegal dumping or for putting out their garbage on the wrong day of the week. Depending on the neighborhood in which you reside, NYC requires that you put out your garbage and recyclables for pickup only on certain days of the week. Our taxes do pay for this privilege but, if you abuse the system and get caught, you will be fined.

As an example, I recently purchased a new etagere for my bathroom a few weeks back that came in a giant cardboard box. I broke it down and, when I went to walk it outside to place it on the curb, my super stopped me and told me to leave it inside because he didn't want to get fined. I've never been aware of which days they do pickups in this area (only having lived here five years :rolleyes: ), but there was a load of crap already on the curb leftover from the snowstorm the week or two before, and figured it wouldn't be a problem. Guess not.
 
I'd far rather the fines than bags of garbage in the street for days on end.
 
abooja said:
I'm not sure what you saw, Claire, but I'm willing to bet that those folks were fined either for outright illegal dumping or for putting out their garbage on the wrong day of the week. Depending on the neighborhood in which you reside, NYC requires that you put out your garbage and recyclables for pickup only on certain days of the week. Our taxes do pay for this privilege but, if you abuse the system and get caught, you will be fined.

As an example, I recently purchased a new etagere for my bathroom a few weeks back that came in a giant cardboard box. I broke it down and, when I went to walk it outside to place it on the curb, my super stopped me and told me to leave it inside because he didn't want to get fined. I've never been aware of which days they do pickups in this area (only having lived here five years :rolleyes: ), but there was a load of crap already on the curb leftover from the snowstorm the week or two before, and figured it wouldn't be a problem. Guess not.
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Oh! Well I can see where that would help certain impoverished areas in Blighty too... stop the bastards from making the place look like a dump... but Hell! Its their homes!

Thats excactly what this little old woman said... about the snowstorm

"God Damn snow brings that shit.. I ain't pickin up no shit!" :D

But why are they dressed like Cops?

I'd be shitting myself incase someone took a shot at me!

"Hell no I ain't no copper! Public Health! Public Health!!!!"
 
BTW, this is the law all throughout NYC. If you've ever been to Manhattan, for instance, you'd know that it's far from impoverished. ;)

As Leslie suggested, it's about attempting to keep this place as clean as possible. Do you have any idea of the sheer number of bodies that reside in this small space? Millions! Most of them are utter slobs. Without these laws, it would be unbearable.
 
We have the fines in the business sections here in piddly Barrie. Put it out on garbage day or pay.
 
abooja said:
BTW, this is the law all throughout NYC. If you've ever been to Manhattan, for instance, you'd know that it's far from impoverished. ;)
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Oh yes! The majority places in blighty that would benefit from such a scheme... sofa's left in the garden... black bags strewn everywhere... sadly are the impoverished areas... :shrug:

If such a scheme were started they'd be fining those who can'r afford it... and thats not the British way... we pander to the ignorant waster here.

My point was only brought to my attention through that programme... i assume its the same all over the States.
 
ClaireBear said:
... i assume its the same all over the States.
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Never ever assume anything is the same all over the US. It isn't. Trust me...Tennessee is really three states instead of one, we just get credit for one of them. :lloyd:
 
parts of the US are different. Where I have lived in MD trash was once a week as well. the areas I lived in there were clean for the most part. and like Les I would rather pay a fine than live in garbage
 
And one thing I also need to ask...

The health service...

Here... if I were to drop down unconscious/in pain/sick in the middle of the street an ambulance would be called it would arrive within the optimum 4 mins, trained paramedics would assess and admit me... no question. I'd be taken to the nearest hospital treated and get all care, treatment, operation, stay in hospital, after care etc etc etc.. at the same level as anyone else... no questions asked.

Whats the situation over there?

Don't you all need insurance?

Ooooooh! And having a baby... you have to pay for labour right? Literally a labour charge!!! :D
 
insurance is necessary but some doctors will work on someone if they do not have it. Not most I think
 
freako104 said:
insurance is necessary but some doctors will work on someone if they do not have it. Not most I think
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so what happens?

You die? :eek:

"The laaaaand of the braaaave"

Man what a country!
 
Frekao is incorrect. If you have a medical emergency, you will be treated. Every area of the country has hospitals that will take indigent cases. In Atlanta, it's Grady Memorial, and they have one of the best trauma centers in the southeast, if not the country.

However, be aware that the costs will come back to you. If you can pay, you will be charged.

Trash in my area is privatised. Go find a trash business, and pay their rates.
 
HomeLAN said:
Frekao is incorrect. If you have a medical emergency, you will be treated. Every area of the country has hospitals that will take indigent cases. In Atlanta, it's Grady Memorial, and they have one of the best trauma centers in the southeast, if not the country.

However, be aware that the costs will come back to you. If you can pay, you will be charged.

Trash in my area is privatised. Go find a trash business, and pay their rates.
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So you're treated and then they slap you with a bill for XYZ dollars...

Nice...

But what about the baby thing... surely insurance can't cover that... is that a one off payment?...

And what about medicare? Whats that?
 
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