Hapless Bills Fan Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/715107132/the-affluent-homeless-a-sleeping-pod-a-hired-desk-and-a-handful-of-clothes?utm_source=pocket-newtab "And he says the only clothes he owns are two versions of the same outfit. Johnson says he owns so little that he has even been able to get rid of his backpack. "I gave that up two months ago," he says." My eyes were rolling so hard it's a shock they didn't pop out of my face and roll over the desk. 1) Gave up his backpack...does that mean he doesn't have a computer, smartphone, battery pack, charger etc? or he gave up his backpack and still has a messenger bag (disingenuous, that would be). "Johnson also rents a desk at WeWork, a coworking space." does he also rent a computer and put his financial and personal data at the whim of whoever is maintaining security on it? Is he 100% "cloud based" with no hard backup? 2) "Only clothes...two versions of the same outfit". This is only possible in LA...anywhere else, one at least needs a change of seasonally appropriate clothing, a change of shoes and layers/outerwear/hat/gloves, raingear or umbrella. I guess one could sell one's winter stuff and buy spring stuff? But that's hardly minimalist. That's trading extra cash and using extra resources of tossing/buying new to maintain a minimalist appearance. 3) this is a guy who doesn't sweat? He doesn't need different workout clothes vs work clothes, and a daily clean pair of socks and tighty whities or briefs? "He rents a bed in a large room with other people who rent beds, for nights, weeks or months at a time, through a service called PodShare. All the residents share a kitchen and bathrooms." HAHAHAHA try that if homeless druggies catch on and start sharing the space. They must have a screening system that would put a suburban Restrictive Covenant to shame. Where did NPR find this guy? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 Don't listen to National Panhandler Radio, where all things are never considered. Once Click & Clack left, there was nothing of value left. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 Maybe he was frightened as a child after watching ‘Soylent Green’. * ”Soylent Green... is people!!!” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 How do you bring a lady home if you live in a pod with 4 other stinky dirt bags? I guess you don’t.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 If i were to be completely honest...i'd love to have that little of a presence....but i wouldn't have the balls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocemur Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 Have we learned nothing from movies? Never trust the Pod People! Or, a "Social Media" professional found a way to get some name recognition so every time his name is googled, this comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted April 25, 2019 Author Share Posted April 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Johnny Hammersticks said: How do you bring a lady home if you live in a pod with 4 other stinky dirt bags? I guess you don’t.... rent a room at the No-Tell Motel I guess? 2 hours ago, The Poojer said: If i were to be completely honest...i'd love to have that little of a presence....but i wouldn't have the balls If you lived in WNY and had that little presence, you wouldn't have balls either. They'd freeze and fall off....or at least turn blue 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 And so many just move back in with mom and dad. Never moving out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted April 25, 2019 Author Share Posted April 25, 2019 26 minutes ago, mead107 said: And so many just move back in with mom and dad. Never moving out. He probably has a roomful of stuff and 12 boxes in his parents garage or basement He's planning to visit and clean it out....when he "gets a round tuit" 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills808 Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 The guy rents or leases, rather than owns. Not uncommon and speaking as someone who knows the costs of depreciation and ownership...not a terrible way to live if you can get away with it. Don't see much to turn your nose up at here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted April 25, 2019 Author Share Posted April 25, 2019 4 hours ago, GoBills808 said: The guy rents or leases, rather than owns. Not uncommon and speaking as someone who knows the costs of depreciation and ownership...not a terrible way to live if you can get away with it. Don't see much to turn your nose up at here. Oh, I have nothing against keeping costs down by renting or leasing. In fact, I'm trying to persuade my 87 year old mother, who has spent an average of $3,400/yr on automobile ownership for the last 3 years (but has driving to medical appointments and weekly bus to groceries and stores provided by her living facility) that she can pay for a large number of taxi trips to whatever for far less - basically could take 2 additional trips a week, which is probably more than she's "up for" at her age. And I had 4 apartmentmates in college because it was way cheaper to split a large apartment 5 ways than to rent a studio/1 BR. Kid will have apartmentmates for same reason. But that's still renting a space shared with limited people one personally selects. It's the limited scope of the lifestyle (climate etc) and my suspicions that he is over-stating it for the article that has me mocking him - not turning up my nose, mocking him. I spelled out why. Hammersticks brought out another reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boca BIlls Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 I like living in my own place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBills808 Posted April 25, 2019 Share Posted April 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Oh, I have nothing against keeping costs down by renting or leasing. In fact, I'm trying to persuade my 87 year old mother, who has spent an average of $3,400/yr on automobile ownership for the last 3 years (but has driving to medical appointments and weekly bus to groceries and stores provided by her living facility) that she can pay for a large number of taxi trips to whatever for far less - basically could take 2 additional trips a week, which is probably more than she's "up for" at her age. And I had 4 apartmentmates in college because it was way cheaper to split a large apartment 5 ways than to rent a studio/1 BR. Kid will have apartmentmates for same reason. But that's still renting a space shared with limited people one personally selects. It's the limited scope of the lifestyle (climate etc) and my suspicions that he is over-stating it for the article that has me mocking him - not turning up my nose, mocking him. I spelled out why. Hammersticks brought out another reason. What you call limiting is what some might call liberating. If you're paying on a car, you don't 'own' it- the bank does. Same thing w/ a mortgage, and I know a ton of people in that age demographic to whom crediting out pieces of themselves is way more unappealing than renting, leasing, rideshares etc. For example, we lease a bunch of land because purchasing outright puts you in the hole before you even get started. I 'own' enough equipment to cover three mortgages and it depreciates in value yearly, not to mention the cash we pay out to keep it all operational. Leasing, renting, etc are strategies for making and keeping money in the short term. If you're unattached and can get by on nominal creature comforts I think it's a great strategy...but then I'm generally against mocking people for living how they see fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 On 4/25/2019 at 10:30 AM, Hapless Bills Fan said: https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/715107132/the-affluent-homeless-a-sleeping-pod-a-hired-desk-and-a-handful-of-clothes?utm_source=pocket-newtab "And he says the only clothes he owns are two versions of the same outfit. Johnson says he owns so little that he has even been able to get rid of his backpack. "I gave that up two months ago," he says." My eyes were rolling so hard it's a shock they didn't pop out of my face and roll over the desk. 1) Gave up his backpack...does that mean he doesn't have a computer, smartphone, battery pack, charger etc? or he gave up his backpack and still has a messenger bag (disingenuous, that would be). "Johnson also rents a desk at WeWork, a coworking space." does he also rent a computer and put his financial and personal data at the whim of whoever is maintaining security on it? Is he 100% "cloud based" with no hard backup? 2) "Only clothes...two versions of the same outfit". This is only possible in LA...anywhere else, one at least needs a change of seasonally appropriate clothing, a change of shoes and layers/outerwear/hat/gloves, raingear or umbrella. I guess one could sell one's winter stuff and buy spring stuff? But that's hardly minimalist. That's trading extra cash and using extra resources of tossing/buying new to maintain a minimalist appearance. 3) this is a guy who doesn't sweat? He doesn't need different workout clothes vs work clothes, and a daily clean pair of socks and tighty whities or briefs? "He rents a bed in a large room with other people who rent beds, for nights, weeks or months at a time, through a service called PodShare. All the residents share a kitchen and bathrooms." HAHAHAHA try that if homeless druggies catch on and start sharing the space. They must have a screening system that would put a suburban Restrictive Covenant to shame. Where did NPR find this guy? Thoughts? "...even if young people own less and are less enamored with ownership than their parents may be, they still have a lot of stuff — it's just not tangible." Then it's not "stuff." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 28, 2019 Share Posted April 28, 2019 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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